Kingdom Hearts Legends: Aquarius Rising
by Master Sayaka
Summary: Darkness lays siege to the realm of light. Now, Sayaka Miki and her friends are the only ones who can save their world from oblivion. But to help bring forth a new day, they'll have to face the night within, confront enemies from a forgotten past, and fight their way across time itself.
1. Episode 1: Night of Fate

**Episode 1: Night of Fate**

**Chapter One**

"The poor child whined and cried like a baby when I dumped her!"

My head rose from the cold, hard pillow of a commuter train seat railing. It was around midnight. The car was empty except for two guys cackling about the stupidity of women. I think they were pimps. I couldn't take it anymore. I brushed stray strands of blue hair from my eyes and shambled toward the men. I tried to look angry, but my face wouldn't budge. Just a blank stare. There was nothing inside me.

"Excuse me," I mumbled, "who are you talking about?"

The prettier of the pair gawked. "What?"

"Your girlfriend." I closed my eyes. "Tell me about her."

The other guy smirked. "Are you a middle schooler? Nice uniform. It's not safe to talk to strangers, little girl."

I ignored him. "You must mean a lot to her. She wants to make you happy. You know that, don't you?"

Silence.

"But you're making fun of her." I continued. "As soon as she stopped being useful, you abandoned her, didn't you?"

"Why?" A leer crept across the pretty man's face. "Do you know her daughter from class or something?" He chuckled. "Cause she sure isn't my daughter!"

I turned away. "Is this world worth protecting?" I clenched my fists. "Tell me why I should fight, tell me right now! Or I'll..." Tears choked off my words.

They laughed at me. So I killed them. I slumped the bodies over and closed their eyes to make it look like they were sleeping. It didn't make the pain go away. I clutched my chest and shook at the thought that although I could feel it beating, I didn't have a heart in there anymore.

Images shot through my mind like bullets. I saw Mami's gentle smile and soft, golden hair as she comforted a man she'd saved from committing suicide. Then, I remembered her mangled flesh dangling from the mouth of a giant worm while her headless body flailed on the ground. Mami was the reason I'd wanted to become a Magic Girl. Like her, I'd wanted to fight for the innocent and rescue them from strange creatures of negative emotion that we called Witches. Even sacrifice myself, if necessary. I thought about Kyousuke, the boy I loved so deeply. I'd given everything for him. You had to make a wish before you became a Magic Girl, and my wish was to restore his health so he could play the violin again. But then I was afraid to tell him. And after I found out exactly what I'd become, I couldn't tell him. In the end, he kissed my friend Hitomi, not me.

I slammed my arm against the wall. Hard. It snapped. Laughter erupted from my sobs as the wound closed and the bone popped back into place in a matter of seconds. Who was I kidding? Something dead couldn't get hurt! My body had no life in it. My life, my soul, was trapped in a gem in a ring on my finger. Slowly fading away.

"Kyubey," I whimpered as I crumpled to the floor, "why did you trick us?"

I already knew the answer. Creatures like Kyubey seduced us to give up our hearts in exchange for wishes, power, and a chance to help people and be important as Magic Girls. They offered us lonely little girls a chance to matter to someone. We trusted them because they didn't look mean at all. They were small and they looked like a cross between a bunny rabbit and a cat with golden rings suspended around the ears as if by invisible fairies. But it was all a farce. All a play on our emotions. We were tricked into hunting Witches until our souls burned out, at which point we'd become the very things we'd signed on to fight. Then other Magic Girls would come kill us and feed our Grief Seeds—the dark remnants of our souls—to Kyubey. It was that horrible and that simple. All the good we accomplished, everyone we saved...meaningless. The universe would always reset itself to zero in the game of predator and prey.

Shadows coiled around me. Mocking figures, half real, half illusion. Ghost People, minions of the Witches. I called upon the dimming light inside me and struck out with a cutlass that materialized in my hand. They came closer. I moaned and stumbled, cradling my head and pressing my temples, trying to make them go away. Somehow, I managed to crawl into another car full of people.

I lost my mind completely. The faces around me twisted into demonic forms, all lined with teeth, laughing at me. I wanted to kill them. Even the babies. Especially the babies. They were the loudest and ugliest. I wanted to save them from the torture of existing in this world. I thought to myself, _Everyone dies, right? I should at least spare these people the pain of living, the pain of discovering that they're worthless._But I threw myself out a window before I could act.

A strip of flesh tore off against the gravel beside the tracks as shattered glass rained down. I didn't care. Tears stung my eyes for other reasons. I folded my arms and wandered for several city blocks without seeing anyone except the Ghost People. They were coming for me, giggling, just waiting to rip me apart from the inside. I knew it. Oddly enough, I found my way back to a train station. It was closed. I broke in and hobbled up an escalator to the second floor. The shadows were right behind me, then creeping in from every direction.

I took a seat by a billboard, hung my head, smiled, and waited for the end.

**Chapter Two**

Footsteps. I winced. _No, not you, Kyoko! Not now! Please, stay back. I'm not me anymore. Can't you see the Ghost People? _The redheaded girl jogged right through them, totally unaware. _I guess not._

"I finally found you!" Kyoko caught her breath and plopped down next to me. She popped a can of pizza-flavored wedge chips from her pocket. "When are you going to learn to stop being so stupid? Come on, expending all your energy like that and then throwing a tantrum and running away? Really childish."

I could tell immediately that she was there to offer me the same Grief Seed I'd refused to accept from Homura earlier. Homura was another Magic Girl with dark hair who acted mysterious all the time and always seemed ready for a fight. She'd tried to kill me when I rejected her gift, but Kyoko had stopped her. The redhead and I hadn't gotten along well in the beginning, but we'd since become good friends. She'd probably ask me to use the Grief Seed to take away some of the darkness from my Soul Gem, but that would only prolong the inevitable. She hadn't figured it out yet. It wasn't about recharging magical energy.

"Sorry for wasting your time," I muttered.

"Huh?" She munched on a chip. "That's a weird thing for you to say."

"I don't care anymore."

Kyoko stopped eating. Her brow scrunched up.

"What was important to me," I continued, "what I wanted to protect...it's useless."

"Hey," the redhead chewed her lip, "what are you talking about?"

I opened my hands slowly to reveal my Soul Gem. Whenever I manifested it from my ring, it took on the form of an ornate, golden Fabergé egg cradling a huge sapphire. Now it was cracked all over and looked like a snow globe full of sludge.

Kyoko gasped.

I whispered, "Hope and despair, light and darkness, always balance out to zero. That's what you said, isn't it?"

Her eyes were scared.

I sighed. "I understand what that means now. I did save a few people, but with each battle, the hatred inside me grew. I failed Mami. I even hurt my best friend, Madoka. And you're right, I ran away, unable to face it."

"Wait! Did you—"

"No, she's still alive." I grinned. "But whenever I wish for someone to be happy, someone else has to suffer. That's what it means to be a Magic Girl."

I gazed up at Kyoko with watery, tired eyes. "I'm such a fool."

A single teardrop landed on my Soul Gem and it shattered. Darkness spilled everywhere. Kyoko tried to hang on, but the force was like an explosion. She spun across the room and clanked against a steel grating. The lights overhead blew out and the ground quivered. I collapsed and the Ghost People took me.

**Chapter Three**

The next thing I knew, I was standing on a stage watching a man of pure shadow conduct an orchestra of distorted, blue, cutout replicas of my love, Kyousuke. Wait, was it a stage or an arena? I couldn't feel my heartbeat in that place, but I was still doing fine. It was so surreal. Columns made of bookshelves like the ones in Kyousuke's hospital room went up as high as the eye could see. This was definitely a Witch Maze—an otherworld they trapped their victims in before draining their souls. Something breathed down the back of my neck. I turned around.

Words can't describe my horror.

A colossal, faceless mermaid with a black, heart-shaped crest behind its head, ironclad like a knight and wagging a tail of bronze, chucked a sword twice as tall as me into the ground. Suddenly, I wasn't okay with dying anymore! Was this my Witch? I flipped and tumbled, but couldn't use any magic. The orchestra played louder and louder until it drowned out my screams. Music morphed into waves on a sea, swirling round and round the Witch. I struggled to keep my head above water. A claw whipped out from the mermaid's underbelly and latched onto my ankle. It dangled me upside down above the center of the whirlpool. Below me, the Witch's helmet creaked open.

_So this is how it happens,_ I thought to myself_._

_"_It doesn't have to, Sayaka," came a girl's calm, quiet voice.

Time froze. _Did someone call my name?_

Water droplets sparkled in front of my eyes like tiny stars. I spun my head this way and that. _Is this what it feels like to go crazy? I thought I was already there...maybe this is death?_

"Remember your friend!" commanded the voice. "If you can't fight for your own heart, then fight for hers! Don't let the darkness take her too!"

Madoka! My friend! My best friend! The pink hair, the bright smile, the cheerful laugh—it all rushed back to me! I remembered listening to music at the mall with her, giggling under the covers and telling ghost stories at slumber parties, and holding her hand when she cried after her pet goldfish died. I know those things sound silly and stupid, but they flipped a light switch on inside me. If I went away, who would protect Madoka from Kyubey? What if that creature tricked her into becoming a Magic Girl?

I clenched my teeth at the Witch. "No, I won't—I _refuse_—to become you!"

Light spiraled around my hand and took shape. What was it? A strange sword, glasslike—no, blue diamond—crafted to look like a long, cresting wave. The tip bulged out a little to make room for a five-pointed, sapphire star with a golden center. The handle felt like ivory and the hilt curved into two heart-shaped openings. At the base there was a small, glowing teardrop.

I'd never seen a Magic Girl wield something like this before. And besides, hadn't my Soul Gem broken? How was I using magic? How was I even alive?

Time started flowing again. I put the questions aside and swung with all my might at the claw that was digging into my ankle. The Witch shrieked. Black smoke puffed out. I tumbled downward, hooked my new blade on the mermaid's visor, and leapt away from its mouth before it could eat me. As I fell, the sea below me turned to mist and vanished. I was back on the stage, but now it was definitely an arena.

The Witch lunged. I held up my sword and blocked the mermaid's blade even though I was really tiny by comparison. But the creature pressed harder and harder, forcing me to my knees as steel ground against diamond. I summoned all my strength and thrust the creature back. The mermaid toppled a column and sent books flying everywhere. Literally! They had teeth and swarmed me. I cut through. Next came the Kyousuke cutouts, marching down from the stage. They were no match for me. I saw some Ghost People holding violins and daggers too. I killed them easily. I ran faster and faster, putting everything into my charge! Then, I jumped up and threw my blade at the Witch's chest. Smack! Direct hit. Shafts of light pierced its flesh.

"I, Sayaka Miki, will protect Madoka, until the very end!"

Hope surged inside me. I couldn't resist it! My blade reappeared in my hand. Had I won? Did I beat the darkness? Uh oh. The earth began rumbling. Cracks ran along the ground. Everything crumbled into an infinite, black abyss.

_No, but I won, I won! How can this be?_

"Take my hand!" came the voice again. "I won't let you go!"

A blonde girl in a flowing white dress grabbed me. She stood suspended in midair, her pretty blue eyes unmoved by all the destruction raining down around us. We looked to be about the same age. Was she another Magic Girl?

"I was so afraid you wouldn't listen to me this time either," she smiled, "but you did! I guess the memory keeps getting stronger. Maybe it's strong enough now?"

"Huh?"

Everything blurred to white.

**Chapter Four**

I came to in a white room. And I mean white. Everything, the chairs, the central table, the ceiling, the floor...all of it looked like it had been bleached. If I would've touched something, I'd like to think it might have felt very soft. But all I could do was stare at the blonde girl standing in front of me.

"Where am I?"

"It's not a question of where," she nodded, "but rather, of who."

"Of who? ...I, I don't understand."

The girl glanced down and kicked at the floor. "I'm sorry...I guess you can't understand it right now. And unfortunately, I don't have time to explain it."

"What do you mean?" I took a step forward. "Tell me what's going on!"

"I can't—not yet." She sighed. "But I can say, you've been led to believe a lie."

"Excuse me?"

"The darkness. It doesn't take away the light."

Silence.

"It's like putting a candle in a dark room," she continued. "The darkness may go on forever, but there's no limit to how bright you can make the light. The darkness and the light—they don't cancel out, Sayaka, not unless the darkness convinces the light to extinguish itself. Because the darkness knows the light will drive it back until it's gone."

I clasped a hand to my chest. The warmth...I could feel my heart beating again.

"It wasn't me." The girl smiled. "You made it start all by yourself."

"Hold on." I pulled away. "Is this another trap? Like with Kyubey? Are you going to do something nice for me, then take advantage of me and screw me over?"

"No," she ran a hand across the table, "but I can't prove it."

"What do you want from me?" I demanded. "Why did you save me?"

The girl paused. "Long ago, I gave a boy a choice—me, or someone else. I'd already changed everything about him to force him to like me. I knew what was the right thing to do, but I made him decide anyway. I wanted him to pick me. He did. But I was tricked, just like you. And that's why the darkness came."

How weird. She spoke as if her explanation was supposed to make perfect sense to me. All I could do was stand there and shudder with fear and confusion.

Her eyes teared up a bit. "I'm sorry. I wasn't tricked like you. You wanted to help someone else, even die for them. I listened only to my selfishness. The world is unworthy of a light so great and selfless as yours. Nevertheless, it needs it again."

She talked as if I were some kind of hero. And maybe I was—a failed hero. I wondered if she knew about all the terrible things I'd said and done.

"What do you mean selfless?" I went pale. "I just killed two—"

"Your blade," she cut me off, "it's also a key that will open many hearts and bring them healing. You remind me of a woman who helped me long before I became what I am now. She gave me something, and I've given it back to you. Don't just be Madoka's guardian—protect everyone. Find that desire again, please, or else..."

"Or else what?" I leaned forward. "Tell me! You're not making any sense!"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I have to go. He'll see me if I don't."

"Who will see you? Come on, this is all really vague and scary! I don't know what to do with any of it! I'm serious!"

"Don't worry," she insisted, "you will. Have faith—we'll meet again. I promise. Stay strong and hold onto the light. Then, when the time comes, even the darkness will fight for you."

She started walking away.

"Wait!" I called after her. "At least tell me your name!"

She glanced over her shoulder. "A Nobody has no name."

My chest began pounding harder and harder. I passed out.

**Chapter Five**

"Sayaka!"

_Madoka? Is that you?_

I heard gravel crunching under feet, but everything sounded distant like my head was under water. My arms and legs tingled. I couldn't move anything. I couldn't even open my eyes to look around. _What happened to the blonde girl? Oh, she left. Right._ I remembered that much. _How long have I been out?_

"Sayaka! What's wrong?" Madoka sounded hysterical. "Where's her Soul Gem? What happened to her?"

Homura's voice answered in a monotone, "Her Soul Gem turned into a Grief Seed. She became a Witch and died."

_No...that's not true. I'm right here!_

There was a thud. Madoka rasped, "You're kidding...right?"

Kyoko responded barely above a whisper. "It's the truth."

I could feel the redheaded girl's breath on my throat. Was she carrying me? A muscle twitched in my leg. I don't think she noticed.

_Please_, I pleaded inside, _someone notice that I'm alive!_

"Death." Homura sighed. "That's the final secret of the Soul Gem. When the gem gets tainted and turns black, we become Grief Seeds and turn into Witches. That's the unavoidable fate of all who become Magic Girls."

A train raced by several feet away.

"It's not true..." Madoka cried. "...Tell me it's not... Please!"

"Madoka!" I croaked.

My eyes shot open and my head jerked up with a cough. Kyoko shrieked and dropped me. I rolled on my side and wheezed.

"Sayaka!" Madoka beamed from ear to ear.

Homura gasped and stepped back. "Impossible!"

"Someone's a liar liar pants on fire!" Kyoko growled at the dark haired girl.

Madoka put an arm against my stomach and helped me to my feet. My strength wasn't totally back yet, so I leaned on her.

"No!" Homura freaked. "Get back! It's not her, it _can't _be her!"

The dark haired girl blinked out of sight. Oh, that was bad! Homura could jump to other places. That was her special power as far as the rest of us knew. I raised my arms in defense, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't do any good. Then, there was a tremendous blast of light. My new blade materialized in my hand. I swung as hard as I could. And just in time! The broad side of my blade struck the dark haired girl's jaw and sent her flying. She smacked square into a pole almost a hundred feet away and slumped to the ground in a dust cloud.

"Whoah!" Kyoko oohed and aahed. "Where'd you get that sparkly thing?"

"I'm not really sure. Look, sorry about earlier, I went somewhere else, and I—"

"Yeah yeah," Kyoko waved it off, "you can tell me all about your freaky misadventures in dreamland later, okay?"

Red energy circled Kyoko as her Magic Girl armor and spear appeared. I summoned mine next. It had a white cape over blue formal wear, so I looked like a more colorful, female version of Zorro without the silly mask or hat. Homura's outfit was as bland as always and she looked like a maid. But a really, really scary maid.

Madoka hid behind me and Kyoko. "Homura, stop it!"

"Fat chance of that happening." The redhead chuckled.

"Do you think we can take her?" I asked Kyoko.

"Hm...probably not." She scratched her chin. "Madoka, you might want to run."

"No!" She stomped her feet. "I'm staying right here! I want everybody to stop this instant! I won't let you kill Homura!"

"Hmph!" Kyoko tossed her hair back. "Don't worry, she's not going to be the one dying tonight." The redhead braced against her spear as Homura rose from the ground. "Well, Sayaka," Kyoko grinned, "it's always about spiting your friends, isn't it? You just had to fake us out before dying right in front of us, didn't you?"

I gulped. Homura charged.

**Chapter Six**

I swiped at empty air again. Homura kept blinking all over the place! Why couldn't she hold still long enough for me to smack her out of the ballpark again? She and Kyoko spiraled up into the air and exchanged blows. Most Magic Girls had a unique weapon of their own, but the dark haired girl only had a tiny steel buckler on her forearm. So she couldn't do much damage in melee. However, judging from the flash grenades she liked to throw and the explosions that were prone to go off around her, we all figured she must have stored stuff inside it somewhere.

"Sayaka," Madoka screamed, "look out!"

An iron slab whizzed right at me! I ducked and it took out the window of a boarding station. Homura blurred and reappeared inches from my face. Her hand squeezed my throat and lifted me up.

"Please!" I choked.

There was a tear in Homura's eye. Madoka bawled. I could hear a train coming. The dark haired girl marched me over and held me out over the tracks. She grimaced and braced herself for the splatter.

"Are you insane?" Kyoko squealed.

The redhead tried an intercept with her spear, but faltered. Homura kneed her in the gut. Kyoko's mouth gaped like a fish as she struggled to stay standing.

"For you and me it's hopeless," Homura chided. "If you get in my way, I will kill you. All that matters is Madoka!"

Kyoko crumpled.

My pink-haired friend couldn't have been more terrified. Apparently, Homura thought I was a Witch and wouldn't be convinced otherwise. She'd bought Kyubey's lie long before I had. Could it be that she was working for the creature? Maybe. It seemed plausible at the time. Homura knew too much. I really wanted the blonde girl to come and save me again.

The train wasn't far. I closed my eyes.

Wait. A shadow moved up above! I heard something zing through the wind like a boomerang. The force thrust me out of harm's way. Blood spurted from Homura's wrist as she staggered back. An ebony sword carved like a demon wing stuck up from the tracks that divided us. It had a creepy eye jewel on the hilt. The train roared past and the sword vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"I knew I smelled something familiar," remarked a cold, deep voice. "And here I thought I was the only one left."

Someone landed catlike by my side.

I glanced over to get a better look at my rescuer. A hood concealed his face. In fact, his whole body was covered in a dark robe. Was he a ninja monk or something? Hey, at that point, I thought anything was possible.

"Need a hand?" He helped me to my feet.

_This must be the guy the blonde girl is hiding from. But why is she hiding?_ I didn't want to think about it. I nodded sheepishly to accept the man's help. If he wanted to kill me, he'd have to take a ticket and stand in line.

"Okay. You protect the girl," he instructed, "I'll deal with the Witchling."

I shuddered at the term. _Does he mean Homura?_

The train passed. Homura glared. My new companion arced one arm above his head like a scorpion ready to strike and guarded his waste with the other. His ebony sword took shape again from gathering shadow.

"Hold on," I tugged at his robe, "whatever you do, don't kill her."

"Why?"

I looked across the tacks at Madoka. She nodded.

"Fine. But you'd better have a good reason for this."

I ran and cradled my friend while the man fought Homura. Both of them blinked in and out as they tumbled and twirled. Sparks flew whenever they blocked each other. It seemed neither could gain the upper hand and I started getting very worried. Madoka clung to me tighter and tighter.

"Sayaka, it'll be alright, won't it?"

"I really hope so." I held her hand and got my sword ready just in case.

Gunshots! Homura had a pistol. Madoka and I started screaming. The hooded man seemed unfazed and blocked the bullets with his blade. But the dark haired girl disappeared again. He looked all around, but she was right behind him. A train roared by and Homura tossed him in front of it.

"No!" Madoka wailed.

I winced. The scene was beyond words.

Homura's hair blew in the wind as she turned her attention to us. Her gun sparkled in the moonlight. My friend burrowed into my chest and I nuzzled her hair. The dark haired girl took aim.

"Madoka," I whispered, "I love you."

Her teeth clattered.

"Sh," I rubbed her shoulders as I got to my feet. "It'll be over quick."

I outstretched my arms and dropped my blade. "Listen, Homura. I don't know what you want with Madoka, but I'm not going to fight you anymore! Kyubey is turning us against each other! Can't you see that?"

Her hand wobbled. "But...," she yelled, "but I watched you die! Again and again and again! It's always the same! It _has_ to be the same!"

Her eyes looked wild. I was shivering from head to toe. Homura was crazy and my best friend and I were going to get shot! Madoka hid her head beneath my cape. I wept for her. Homura squeezed the trigger.

**Chapter Seven**

Blam!

The bullet ricocheted off a nearby metal girder. Homura screeched as something yanked her arm back and forth. Ew, what was it? It looked black and inky like a tentacle, but it was coming right out of her own shadow. It bulged and the man from earlier splashed out from it like it was water.

"Darkness!" he commanded.

The shadow obeyed his voice and coiled around Homura. She was suffocating from the pressure and turning blue. Finally, the shadow let up and she fell to the ground, motionless. The man stood over her.

The blonde girl's words echoed in my mind, _Even the darkness will fight for you_. Was she talking about this guy? No thanks. I still wondered if he might be planning to kill us next. Tingles went down my spine and I pushed the thought away.

"Is she...?" Madoka's words trailed off.

"No," the man replied. "Just unconscious."

He walked over, picked up my sword, and handed it back. "The name's Riku."

"Thanks," I panted, "I thought we were dead."

Silence.

His hood tilted. "Aren't you going to introduce yourselves?"

"Um, I'm Sayaka. And this is Madoka."

She waved with a blank look on her face. "Mister, are you a Magic...Boy?"

"No." He let out a single, dark chuckle. "I'm just here to protect special people like you."

He crouched down to her level—he was about two feet taller than us—and touched the center of her chest, right where a necklace would hang. There was a brilliant light. Madoka stepped back and everything got dark again. I clenched my fists and decided that if he touched her again, he'd lose a finger!

_What a creep! That blonde girl is right to hide from him!_

"Just what I suspected." The man rose to his feet. "No wonder the Organization is interested. You'd make a very powerful Magic Girl, perhaps the most powerful of all..."

"Too bad!" I put myself between them. "She's not going to become one!"

"Sayaka," he folded his arms, "is she your friend?"

"Yes," I nodded, "my _best_ friend. So back off!"

"Don't worry, we've got the same objective. But you'd better train much harder to protect her if you don't want her winding up dead...or worse than dead. Are you new at this?"

I didn't respond.

"Word of advice, kids, avoid Witchlings."

Madoka wrinkled her lips. "What do you mean?"

"Magic Girls. They're dangerous, they're hopeless, and sooner or later, they'll turn into Witches and kill you."

"That's not true!" I protested. "Not always..."

He pointed at Kyoko. "You see that red thing? It'll attack you just like the black one. It's inevitable."

Madoka's eyes went wide. "But Kyoko's our friend!"

He got quiet.

"Homura is too!" she added.

"So that's why you wanted her unconscious...well, I'm not sure how else to put this, but, if you truly care about your friends, you'll kill them before they hurt somebody. What's been done to them can't be undone."

"That's a lie!" I shouted. "Don't you dare believe it! I was told..."

I trailed off. I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to mention the blonde girl.

"Whatever you've been told, forget it. You have no idea how lucky you are," he wagged a finger. "A very powerful Witch—one of the most powerful ones I've ever seen—appeared around this very rail yard just a few hours ago. I found two men dead on a train. That's the only reason I'm in the area. To hunt what killed them, even if it kills me. And you're even luckier it vanished, or else I wouldn't have even noticed you." He looked off into the night. "I've never seen one do that, but it couldn't have gone far."

My blood ran cold.

"So if you'll excuse me," he turned to leave, "I have unfinished business."

I couldn't talk. My throat felt swollen. All I could do was watch him walk off into the shadows. How can I put into words what was going through my mind? I won't even try. The faces of the two men I killed, frozen in that final look of shock, stared at me from the darkness. I fell to my knees, doubled over, and puked.

"Sayaka...what's wrong?" Madoka trembled. "Are you okay?"

I couldn't tell her the truth. I didn't even know the truth, really. I had so many questions, but I didn't want answers. I only wanted Riku to come back and kill me. I mourned for myself and my victims and listened to the trains go by. Madoka stood in silence with her hand on my shoulder. She never moved the whole time.

I wasn't a Witch. Not anymore. But I was a monster.


	2. Episode 2: Tension Rising

**Episode 2: Tension Rising**

**Chapter One**

"His name is Akio." The old woman's lips trembled with age and grief.

I ran my hand along the mahogany casket of the man I'd killed—the pretty one. I'd already visited the other guy, Haruka. Akio's mother, the old woman, sat in a chair by a fake fern. She adjusted her grip on her walking cane. I was the only other person there. I bet she was wondering who I was and why I had come. Funeral homes aren't a typical hangout for fourteen-year-old girls.

"He looks peaceful." I closed my eyes.

"I'd like to think so," the woman said. "He had a lot of trouble, that boy."

I stared at the ceiling. "Tell me about him."

Several minutes passed. At first I didn't think she'd respond. Then the old woman sighed. "He grew up so well, it's just—his father and I tried to support him—but it all came to nothing. There was a foreign exchange girl back in high school he fell in love with, Christina. She went home and he tried to keep the romance alive as long as he could. One day she sent him a letter saying she couldn't wait for him anymore. We advised against it, but Akio's heart was decided. He took out the money he'd been saving up for a car, hopped a plane, and found her already in the arms of another man. He never recovered."

My hands clenched the casket. _I belong inside there instead_.

"After that," the woman continued, "he never got along with women. I think he was still looking for Christina and got mad when he couldn't find her. That's why he hurt them. It doesn't excuse all that he did but," her voice cracked, "he's my baby—my beautiful, beautiful little baby. He went someplace dark, but now...I hope he's in the light. Or else, what meaning is left for me?"

I turned to face her. Tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks. She slowly heaved herself up and walked over to me. I started shaking all over. Her warm arms folded around me and held on. I felt her lips kiss my forehead.

"Thank you," she sobbed, "thank you for coming, dear. I'd like to think there's always a chance for redemption."

It was too much. I pushed her down and ran.

**Chapter Two**

Night time again. I sat on the rooftop of an apartment complex on the edge of town. The skyline was full of glowing, glassy towers—beautiful on the outside, hollow on the inside, like me. Some storm clouds were on the horizon. Lightning flashed off and on and I distracted myself by counting how many seconds it took to hear the thunder.

I couldn't get Akio's mother out of my head.

I fiddled with my cell phone and decided to play the new message.

"Hey Sayaka? This is Kyoko. Listen...it's been three days. Madoka and I are really worried. Seriously, with a friend like you, who needs enemies? You've got to stop going crazy and running off or else your name is going to end up in the dictionary under emo! Look, you know the soap opera of my life. I don't have anything to go back to. But you do! I mean, at least some of the staff at the orphanage has to like you a little bit, and then there's school and Kyousuke and Hitomi—"

I winced at the names. "Are you _trying_ to make me feel suicidal?"

The message continued, but I had a hard time concentrating on it. I did catch one part though. "Hold on, Madoka has something to tell you..." I heard ruffling in the background, then my best friend's voice. "Hello? Sayaka? Please come back. Class is _so _boring without you, I," she whimpered, "I don't know what else to say."

"I can't do this!" I screamed.

Madoka was my best friend. But I'd known Kyousuke longer. He wasn't just some boy I had a crush on. His father used to come and play cello at the orphanage when I was little. I remember the first time I saw Kyousuke. I couldn't have been more than three years old. It was Christmastime, and his father, Mr. Kamijou, was putting on a special concert. Kyousuke was about a year older than me. He brought me a cup of hot cocoa and sat by me the entire time!

After that, Kyousuke would visit on the weekends. When I started going to school, he ate lunch with me everyday—that is, until a drunk driver hit him on the way home from a violin recital on New Year's Eve. That was three and a half months before I met Kyubey and became a Magic Girl. I stayed by Kyousuke's bedside for weeks waiting for him to wake up. Often I had teachers send my homework so I wouldn't have to leave. His family was okay with it. When he finally woke up he was in bad shape. His mind was fine, but he had trouble walking and his left arm was paralyzed.

I already told you about my wish and what happened with Hitomi. But what made it even worse was that Kyousuke didn't even tell me when he got discharged from the hospital. And he wouldn't talk to me at school. This was _before_ he kissed Hitomi, so it couldn't have been her. Maybe I stayed at the hospital too much?

_I guess he just doesn't like me._

There might have been more to the message. I don't know. I'd already slung my phone away as hard as I could. It crashed through the windshield of a car down below and set the alarm off. Some dogs barked and a few windows lit up. Then I heard the telltale "click click" of a disarm command. The noise stopped. Had the owner come out? No, the parking lot was empty.

"So it's true," came Homura's voice from behind.

I squealed and nearly fell off the roof! Even though I was working on it, I _really_ wasn't ready to die yet.

"Sorry for startling you," she said flatly.

She was still in her school uniform. I wondered if she ever wore anything else. I went pale when I spotted keys dangling from her fingers.

"The owner left them in the car," she shrugged.

"That's not an explanation!"

"It's the best you're going to get." She took a seat beside me and tossed the keys back through the broken windshield. "I came to see if you're a Witch. You aren't."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really? You _think_?"

"Honestly?" Homura sighed. "I don't know what you are."

"A Magic Girl?"

"Where's your Soul Gem?"

We sat quietly for awhile. My heart kept beating faster and faster. I tried my best to act casual. I hadn't seen anyone since the big fight, so I didn't know if Homura still wanted me dead. She didn't act like it, but maybe her calm attitude was a trap so that I wouldn't expect her attack when it finally came.

"Well," I picked at my elbow, "if you're here to kill me, hurry up."

"I'm not. Kyoko sent me."

"Huh?"

"We reconciled."

"When?"

"Shortly after the hooded man disappeared. When you left Madoka alone, at night, in a rail yard, staring at a puddle of your puke."

"Oh." I blushed.

More time passed. Homura leaned back on her palms. It was the most relaxed I'd ever seen her. Of course I'd only known her for about a month since she'd transferred from someplace in Tokyo to Mitakihara Middle School, but this still seemed totally out of character. She wanted something—she had this weird look on her face.

"Anyway," she said, "Kyoko and I have been taking turns spending the night with Madoka. One to keep guard while the other makes runs for Grief Seeds. I'm sure you're aware her parents aren't the most observant people, but they're bound to get suspicious sooner or later, especially since Kyoko isn't registered with the school system. So—"

"I'm not doing watch duty tonight."

"Listen to me," she grabbed my shoulders, "you need to come back and let us figure out what's going on with you." Her eyes were intense. "Kyoko and I sorted out our stories and we both agree that we saw you become a Witch. And now you're back. What we want to know is, why and _how_? We've got zero leads and Kyubey's gone missing."

"Kyubey's gone missing? I guess we should be thankful for small favors."

"No kidding," Homura nodded as a tiny smile lifted her cheeks. "Sayaka, you've given me...hope."

"Hope?"

"Yes. That we don't have to fade away into the darkness. That...maybe I _can_ change things."

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't fully understand everything she'd said, but she seemed sincere. Of course I knew the dark haired girl might be making everything up, trying to trick me, working with Kyubey, or a thousand other things. But I was done running and I was tired.

"Tell me what's going on," Homura pleaded, "I need to know how to help you and Madoka. Nothing can come of ignorance."

"I'm too trusting," I sniffled. "But fine. I'll tell you what I know."

And so I did.

**Chapter Three**

"And that's when I found out their names—"

"Haruka and Akio," Homura interrupted. "I know."

"How?"

"Because I followed you." She placed a hand on my back. "Don't feel too bad. You weren't in a right state of mind. You can't blame yourself like that."

I pulled away. "You don't get it! I _killed_ people! Living, breathing, people!"

She shook her head, "I get it alright."

"No," my eyes went wide, "you obviously don't! I'm no different from those two men! All three of us hurt others, willingly, out of our own darkness! I wasn't killing Akio—I was killing Kyousuke because he kissed Hitomi instead of me! And I enjoyed it and I..."

It suddenly dawned on me what the dark haired girl had meant.

"Homura..."

She held up a hand. "It doesn't matter."

"Who were they?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The new Homura was many things, and mysterious was clearly still one of them. A pit started growing in my stomach. I just wanted out of this nightmare. No more talk of death and killing. Something else—_anything_ else! I didn't want to remember what I had done and I _definitely_ didn't want to know what she had done.

Homura stood up. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, who's the bad guy? The blonde girl or Riku? Why was she hiding from him? They both saved you and seemed worried about Madoka."

Apparently, Homura wanted a topic change too.

"Oh, so we're back to that?"

"Yes." She folded her hands behind her back.

I crossed my arms. "I don't know. Maybe one of them was lying?"

"Could be. I trust Riku more."

"Really? That's interesting."

"Why?" She tossed her hair. "It's more reasonable than you think. He knew Magic Girls are bad news, he tried to kill me, and even though he didn't realize it, he was looking to kill you as well. The blonde girl seems...way too nice. With all her talk about protecting people and light and darkness...she sounds kind of like Kyubey."

"That's not true!"

Homura raised an eyebrow. "I suppose we know what team you're on."

"That's right. _Both_!"

"Interesting." Homura scratched her chin.

I smirked and shot back, "It's more reasonable than you think."

"We'll see." She cracked her knuckles. "We'll see."

Personally, I had serious doubts about Riku. But I trusted Homura's judgement. Her reasoning made a strange kind of sense. But I wanted so badly for the blonde girl to be good. Just for once, I wanted one thing in my life that looked pleasant to actually _be _pleasant. I was tired of closing out everything that looked or sounded nice. I'd done that as a Magic Girl once I began to fall into despair and I simply couldn't live like that anymore. So, I opened my heart to the slightest possibility that maybe I'd gotten lucky for once and ran into two genuinely good people, one of whom merely happened to be hiding from the other due to a simple misunderstanding...or something.

Homura started walking off. "Are you coming, Sayaka? Madoka is expecting you. And Mr. Kaname is making muffins."

"I already told you, I'm not..."

How could I argue with muffins? In three days I'd only had two packs of powdered donuts and a coke I'd ripped off from a convenience store.

"Okay." I crawled to my feet. "You broke me. Are you happy? I'll do watch duty. But if I change into something terrible and eat my best friend, it'll be your fault."

"Agreed."

"Let's go pick up some fresh clothes first, okay?"

"You mean from your room at the orphanage?"

"Yeah. It's up in the hill country, about a ten-minute walk from here."

"Sayaka," Homura paused, "I assume we'll be sneaking in since you've been declared missing and the police are looking for you, correct?"

"Oh." I scratched my head. "I hadn't thought about that. Gosh, I hope Mr. Kaname doesn't watch the news!"

"Trust me, he doesn't."

**Chapter Four**

"Sayaka, wait!" Homura hissed. "We're going to get caught!"

Something was wrong. I couldn't see the familiar lights of the orphanage sparkling through the treetops. All I caught was the occasional flash of lightning from the approaching storm. I dashed out from the bushes and froze beneath a flickering street lamp. All the windows of the building were busted. Glass was all over the garden area. Some of it was covered in blood.

Homura emerged with a stern look on her face. "What do you think you're doing?"

Then she saw it too.

I gripped her hand. We cautiously made our way toward the front automatic doors. They were pretty much the only things that weren't broken. It was dark inside except for sparking from a few loose electrical wires. That's when we saw the bodies. Some I knew, some I didn't. I fell to my knees. Glass pierced my skin. A pair of red eyes emerged from a shadow and crept over the corpses. The silhouette was small and catlike. It was Kyubey.

I tried not to imagine how it killed everyone, but my mind went ahead without me. Normal people couldn't see Kyubey, either because they weren't able to or it didn't want them to. Maybe everything started when the night clerk saw the janitor's chest explode? Kyubey would've gone for the adults first. I could see the children jumping out of bed, running to the corners—their bodies were still there. The whole time no one saw the killer. Then the lights went off and no one could see each other either.

"Why?" was all I could say. All anyone could say. Homura was silent.

_I did not expect the loss of your Witch,_ came Kyubey's telepathic response, _so I had to resort to secondary harvesting to meet my collection quota for negative emotion._

"I don't understand," I groaned. "You mean, you did this...because I lived?"

_That would be an accurate assessment._

Homura's gaze fixed on me. Somehow she knew where my thoughts were going. Her eyes begged me not to say it. I didn't listen.

"Then take me—take me now and stop this!"

Homura gripped my shoulder. She was ready to pull me back at a moment's notice. And to think not three days earlier she'd been doing her very best to kill me.

_My apologies, _Kyubey's ear twitched, _but your heart is quite unsuitable for harvesting in its present state._

"What?" I blinked. "Why is that? Tell me why you can't take me!"

_I am not at liberty to divulge such information, Sayaka Miki_. Kyubey began circling. _It is rather unfortunate that a certain animosity must now exist between us. I can, however, comply with your desire for death. In fact, the Superior of the Organization had already ruled earlier today that your existence must no longer be tolerated, seeing as how more conventional means of disposal, such as contracting, have failed. We're glad—_

Bang! Kyubey went down. Smoke spiraled up from a pistol in Homura's hand.

"What are you doing?" I cried.

"Giving you the will to live and fight the Organization!"

"Organization? Wh-what?" I stammered. "But, but what if I don't want to?"

"Right Sayaka, like sacrificing yourself to the Incubators is going to fix anything!"

"Incubators?" I swallowed. "Huh?"

Things in the darkness began to hiss! Dozens of pairs of red eyes closed in from every direction. Incubators? They were other Kyubeys! The golden rings around some of their ears started glowing purple as they absorbed black energy from the corpses.

I scrambled to my feet and clung to Homura. "There's more than one?"

"A lot more than one."

We were surrounded. Homura pulled a second pistol from who knows where. She kept moving, her back to mine, not sure what to aim at first. I bit my lip, summoned my blade and armor, and charged blind into the darkness.

_Thanks for your kindness, Homura. But it looks like I'm going to get my death wish anyway._

**Chapter Five**

"Above you!" Homura shrieked.

I spun and slashed the Kyubey at the last instant. They were crashing through the ceiling now. More gunshots rang out. I heard another of Homura's clips clank to the ground, then the stream of bullets resumed. Each barrel flash revealed heaps of dead Incubators all around her, but even more were flooding in from the stairwells and windows. There was no end to them.

I yelped as teeth sank into my arm. "Homura!"

They were jumping and yapping. I swatted and cut. Something tugged at me from behind. The Incubators were clawing at my cape, trying to bring me down. They were getting ready to swarm me.

Homura raced over, but one of the Kyubeys with glowing rings shot a bolt of energy at her. It happened so quick—there was no time for her to dodge. She crashed through a glass table, then through a wall, and went limp.

"Homura!"

The Incubators overcame me. I thrashed and fell.

_I'm fine with this, _I closed my eyes, _Kyousuke won't miss me. I just...I don't want Homura to die. And I don't want to make Madoka sad._

_Then bend your knee and plant one heel on the ground,_ came a woman's voice inside my head. It wasn't the blonde girl—this one sounded like she was maybe a few years older than me. S_wing around on your offhand while guarding with your blade. Keep the other leg straight and elevated above the ground. The force of your spin will put you back on your feet._

Sure enough, the stunt worked. But where did I learn it? Mami didn't teach it to me, I knew that much. And the voice sounded nothing like her. I ripped my cape off to avoid having to try the recovery technique again and landed into the Kyubeys. My blade pulsed with light and helped me see where to swing. Suddenly, I somehow knew the cartwheel dodge, the swan thrust, how to parry, how to dash—all this knowledge about combat just popped right into my head.

_This sure would've been useful for fighting Witches!_

"Hang in there, Homura!" I cut a path toward where I saw her fall. _Ugh! They're everywhere! I can't see anything!_

A hand grabbed my arm. The world froze. The blonde girl?

"Don't let go or time will stop for you as well," Homura instructed. She pulled the pin of a grenade with her teeth and slung the bomb. It hung in midair. "Head for the back—there's a fire exit." We weaved our way as she set several other explosives. "As soon as we hit the door, take off running. I can't hold this for long."

I was very happy to obey her. Luckily there was a construction site behind my orphanage with plenty of cover. We made it maybe twenty feet, dove into one of those long, steel tubes, and rode out the blast. The tube clinked and banged against a lot of stuff and it felt like we were riding through the air for awhile. Once it stopped rolling I looked to Homura. She signaled to wait. I heard debris raining down.

When we emerged, I was speechless. The building was razed to its foundations. Chunks of twisted steel and burning wood were scattered across the ground. I saw bits and pieces of Kyubeys too and other things I don't want to talk about.

"You stopped time," I panted.

"Yes." Homura nodded. "That's my power."

**Chapter Six**

The storm was nearly overhead. Homura and I leaned on each other, unsure of which direction to go. There was some scaffolding nearby in case it started to rain or hail, but I wasn't sure we should stay around the orphanage in case more Incubators showed up.

"It's okay," she forced a smile, "we got them good. There's no rush...I, I need to give you something."

"What is it, Homura?"

"Don't open it," she slipped something into my pocket. "Wait until you get into the woods. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"We both know why you became a Magic Girl." She clasped my hand. "To fight evil and to protect the innocent. Why should you give up just because you know what evil is now? Shouldn't that make you want to fight it even more?"

I didn't respond.

"I'm right though," she continued. "Please listen to me. I want you to save Madoka. I've tried to save her so many times, and each time, it just gets worse."

"What do you mean?" I scrunched my brow. "Madoka's fine as far as we know..."

Then the pieces fell into place. Homura had power to stop time...and that meant she might also be able to time travel! I know it sounds like a lot to swallow, but a few weeks spent fighting Witches as a Magic Girl makes you pretty open minded about stuff like that. I actually felt kind of stupid. Even the blonde girl had mentioned being glad about saving me _this time_. On a side note, how did she remember previous timelines? What happened in them? I put the question aside for the time being. One thing was sure. Homura's power wasn't just about stopping things. It went much, much deeper than that.

"How long have you been trying to save her?" I asked weakly.

"I've been reliving the same month for three years now."

My jaw dropped.

"I know," she laughed and cried, "it sounds incredible, but it's true. I've seen a lot of strange things happen, though none so strange as what's happening now. And that's why I've decided...this will be the last cycle. I won't do it again. The Organization is afraid of you—prove they have good reason to be."

"Homura..."

She ignored me and looked at my arm. "You're bleeding pretty bad."

Yikes! She was right!

"Why aren't you healing yourself?" she asked. "That's your power, isn't it?"

"Huh? I, I don't know! It's not working!"

"Here," Homura supported me as we hobbled across the gravel, "let's find someplace to rest and dress your wounds." I slumped against a pile of dirt and she tore off part of her skirt and wrapped it around my forearm. "Sayaka...you're lucky."

"Really? I wouldn't wish this _luck_ on anyone."

"No, I mean, your wound isn't very bad."

"Oh."

Something was dripping. At first I thought it was the rain starting. Then I glanced down at her leg and the trail of blood behind us.

"Homura..." I gasped.

She collapsed.

I rushed to her side. Her breathing was wet. A huge slab of glass jutted from her back. I rolled her into a fetal position to keep it from going any deeper. I was too late. A tip was already poking out from her stomach.

"Homura!" I screamed and shook her. "No, no, no! Homura! Homura!"

_It's useless_, came Kyubey's voice.

Chills crawled down my spine.

The creature sat wagging its tail, not ten feet away. _Does it bring back memories for you, Sayaka, watching your friend die?_

"What do you want from me?" I yelled as loud as I could. "I don't know what you're even talking about! Just leave me alone!"

_I already told you what I want, _the voice continued, _and now I'm merely curious about what strange memories Namin_é _gave you to save you from oblivion._

"Who?" I shouted and swung at the air. "What memories?"

_The blonde girl. Memories of pain—they are responsible for that special blade of yours. Did you know Naminé's a Witch? Aren't you scared about what she did to you, what power she has over you now?_

"You're lying!" I gripped my head. "Stop it! Just stop it! _Please!_"

Homura strained to get up.

"No!" I cried. "Stay down!"

Another Kyubey walked out beside her.

_There's no need to be upset,_ the new creature tilted its head. _We will kill you soon enough, and then you will no longer feel pain or confusion. It will all be over. But first, you must agree to make a simple decision._

Homura's eyes were full of fear and pain. She nodded for me to go ahead.

"Okay," I swallowed, "what is it?"

_The Organization has dispatched forces to two separate locations in Mitakihara Town. According to our calculations of your average overland speed, you will only have time to intercept one of them._

"Wait...you, you want me to stop you?"

_That is correct._

"What are my choices?"

_Kyousuke's house or Madoka's._


	3. Episode 3: The Choice

****Episode 3: The Choice****

**Chapter One**

Another thorn bush whacked my arm, but I wasn't about to slow my run for anything. A second later my feet hit pavement. I could already make out the mouth of the twisted road that led up the hill and across a cobblestone bridge to Madoka's house, or rather, her mansion. Saving Madoka instead of Kyousuke had been a hard decision to make, but I just couldn't say no to Homura as she lay there, helpless. I couldn't deny my new friend's last wish, no matter the cost. I tried not to think about the pain—hers and mine.

Rows of poplar trees swayed in the wind and tiny tidal waves ripped across reflecting ponds. Mrs. Kaname was pretty high up the executive ladder at Yutani—a big Japanese technology corporation—so the family had plenty of money. And it showed. Her husband stayed home and helped with Madoka's baby brother, Tatsuya. I whispered a brief prayer that maybe he and Tatsuya had gone out for groceries or a diaper run. The less people I needed to defend, the better.

Lightning cracked through the treetops. I got scared and tripped. Something slid out from my pocket and scraped across the ground. Homura's package? She'd told me to open it in the woods. I'd forgotten all about it! It was a cell phone wrapped in pink notebook paper with a message hastily scribbled in pencil: _Sayaka, thank Madoka for being my friend. No matter what happens. Your phone broke. Use mine_.

_I've never seen Homura hang out with Madoka,_ I puzzled. _I guess...maybe that was different in previous timelines?_

My thoughts became rambled. I wondered why the dark haired girl had distanced herself in this cycle. Maybe she couldn't bear the pain anymore? I knew all about running—the memory of murdering Akio and Haruka chased me during idle moments—so I couldn't blame her. She'd simply lost hope. Just like I did when I ran away from Madoka, shouting at her not to follow me because I was lost. She cried so much, but I shut her out. I hurt her, so, so deeply. And Homura...

_I bet it's torture for Homura, seeing her best friend die no matter what she does...and what all did_ _she do?_

I thought back to our conversation on the rooftop of the apartment complex, about how she'd admitted to killing people. It made me shudder.

Madoka _was_ Homura's best friend, no doubt about it—would you relive the same month for three years for someone you didn't love with all your heart? No wonder Homura was so quiet and angsty. And all this time, I thought Madoka and I were close and Homura was just some crazy, pretentious transfer student. What would I say to Madoka? How could I encapsulate the events of the past three days into one, short blurb? How do you tell someone that they're actually best friends with a girl they don't really even know? Nothing came to mind.

_You simply can't prepare for this sort of thing, _I thought.

I flipped open the phone and dialed as I jogged up the road and crossed the bridge, but it wasn't Madoka's number. I'd see her in person soon enough. I was calling Kyousuke's house. Maybe I could give him some advanced warning? The phone picked up on the third ring. I could hear a string quartet playing softly in the background. That meant he had guests. A dinner party. This was bad. Bad, bad, bad! My hand was shaking so bad I thought I'd drop the phone.

"Kyousuke's residence," came a squeaky, girly voice.

"Hitomi?" I gasped.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's speaking?"

A rush of emotions poured over me and I almost lost it. But I didn't feel anger about her being with Kyousuke like I'd expected. Instead, it was more like gut-wrenching fear. I was truly and sincerely afraid for Hitomi's sake! For everyone with her! I needed to get them out, needed to protect them, but how? They were all the way on the other side of town. The Organization must've known about this. Of course they did. I thought carrying the guilt of Akio and Haruka's deaths was bad enough, but now, because of my decision, I'd have to carry this too...no, I wouldn't let myself think that way! _There must be something I can do, right?_ I'd just do the best I could, save as many lives as possible. I composed myself and braced for the challenge.

"Hitomi, this is Sayaka Miki."

"Oh my God!" Dishes clattered on the other end. "Where are you? Everyone's worried sick! You were on the news!"

"I know, I know. Calm down. How many people are with you?"

"What? Sayaka, you need to—"

"How many?" I hissed.

"Um," she seemed startled, "I don't know. Maybe thirty or forty?"

I winced. _You made the wrong decision, Sayaka!_

_Put it aside_, came the woman's voice I'd first heard back at the orphanage. _You can't let yourself feel frightened about things beyond your control. That's exactly what the Organization wants—to use your emotions against you. You've got to focus!_

"Okay," I said half to the voice, half to Hitomi. My teeth chattered as rain pelted me in sheets. "Do you remember Friday night, two weeks ago? The freaky mass hallucination thing where you wandered off to that warehouse?"

"Uh, yeah, but who cares? Please, tell me where you are!"

I ignored her. "This is going to sound really crazy, but it wasn't a hallucination. All the stuff you saw was real! You and that whole crowd were under a Witch's spell—you were all going to kill yourselves by mixing bleach and detergent so that the Witch could eat your souls."

Nervous laughter. "You're right! That sounds _really_ crazy!"

I closed my eyes and swallowed. _Think, Sayaka, think!_ It's not like I could break the news easy to Hitomi, and I didn't want her calling the cops on me. That'd probably just get more people killed. But how could I make her believe me? Then it hit me—I'd seen her that night, when I was fighting the Witch. Maybe she'd seen me too? It was a stretch, but I jumped for it.

"Hitomi, do you remember the girl in blue with the cloak and the sword?"

The laughter stopped. "How did you—"

"That was me. I saved you. Listen carefully. Something's headed your way, something big. I don't know what it is. You need to get everyone out of there, immediately. I don't have time for explanations. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hold on." She said excuse me to someone else and closed a door. "So, the cat thing...it's real too?"

Every part of my body went cold. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak.

"Hello? Sayaka, are you still there? Cueball was its name, I think."

"Kyubey." I could hardly breath. "When did you see it?"

"A year ago, when Mom died. It wanted to make a deal or something."

"Did you?"

"No, of course not! The Bible warns against that kind of stuff. I mean, who in their right mind would contract with a demon cat? I went to a Christian therapist instead and the monster stopped bothering me. I figured the hallucinations were a relapse. I didn't think they were really_real_though, just tricks of the Devil, like my therapist said. Sayaka, did you contract with the cat? Are you a Magic Girl? You need Jesus, Sayaka."

The phone nearly slipped from my hand. This was more surreal than a Witch Maze! Hitomi _knew_? So many things went through my mind._How long has the Organization been doing this? Why are they doing this? How many Magic Girls are out there?_ I'd never paused to think that the nightmare extended far beyond my little world at the Mitakihara Junior and Senior High School Center. I floundered for words. Finally, I found my way back to the present. I decided to just go along with Hitomi's train of thought, Jesus and all. Getting her to safety was top priority. Why hide anything?

"I _was_ a Magic Girl," I began. "But I got out of it. Now I'm a..." I fished for a term—what exactly was I anyway? And what would satisfy her? "...Holy Knight of God. We fight against Kyubey and the bad creatures to protect people's hearts for, um, Jesus. I told you, you're in serious danger and—"

Gunshots and screams crackled on the other end! _Oh God no! It's beginning! _Wait, gunshots? Did the Incubators even have guns? How could they shoot with their paws? A man shouted, but he sounded far away from the phone. Maybe it was him defending himself? Images of the orphanage popped up. The blood, the bodies. Imagination and reality mixed. I heard footfalls. I could see the Kyubeys hurling through people's chests. The guitars were on the floor, shattered. I could hear Hitomi breathing very hard—I knew that part was real. I assumed the main action was going on in another room. It was too late for her. I was almost certain. But didn't matter. I'd try to save her anyway.

"Hitomi!" I screamed. "You've got to hide! Don't listen to anything or come out for any reason! Do you understand?"

Click. The line went dead.

My hand balled into a fist. That was the last straw—Kyubey was going to pay! I charged for Madoka's front door with my new sword drawn. I wasn't so sure if the Incubators could feel pain, but they'd learn how to fast enough. An _extremely_ willing and able teacher was on her way. Time to put the blonde girl's words about light overcoming darkness to the test—I didn't care if she was a Witch or not. I determined then and there that I wasn't going to be afraid anymore. I wasn't going to play into the Organizations taunts and threats.

"No more shrinking back, no more tears, no matter what!"

**Chapter Two**

Ding dong.

Kyoko opened the door with a muffin in her mouth and her eyes closed in ecstasy. "Oh pooh! I was half-hoping you wouldn't show. This food is_way_ too good for you, but come on in anyway!"

Then she saw me—bloodied arm, drawn sword, sopping wet hair. I wonder what was going through her mind. She couldn't possibly know about the horrors Homura and I had just seen. Witches weren't the only bad guy in town anymore. I wasn't even sure they were still the scariest bad guy. I had so much to tell her, so much that she absolutely needed to know.

"What the..." Her snack plopped to the ground. "Where's Homura?"

"She's—"

I never got to finish my sentence. In fact, I forgot everything I was about to tell her. In that moment, all I could focus on was the terror gripping Kyoko's eyes. She was looking straight past me. What was behind me? All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn't even want to look. Was it more Kyubeys?

"Get down!" she shouted.

Wham! A strange looking spear crashed through the decorative window on the door. Kyoko shoved me against the carpet of the entryway. Red ribbons streamed around her. She'd already donned her Magic Girl armor.

"What are they?" she shrieked.

I glanced around. Strange, white, husk-like beings with spindly limbs and huge, featureless heads twisted and spun through the air in unnatural ways! They weren't Ghost People. They weren't Familiars or Witches. I didn't know what they were, but they had this weird fluer-de-lis looking symbol on them that kind of reminded me of Kyubey somehow, color and texture-wise. One thing, however, I did know—I had really powerful lungs judging from the sound of my screams. I'd seen plenty of terrifying things. Scary shows no longer fazed me after I'd started hunting Witches. But something about these creatures, the way they bent and flexed like hollowed out skin drifting in the wind...

"Sayaka!" Kyoko cupped a hand over my mouth and looked me straight in the eye. "Now's a perfect time for you _not_ to freak out! Prove yourself useful for once!"

I nodded and we rose together, trembling, ready to fight to the death.

**Chapter Three**

The creatures clicked and moaned. I think they were coordinating their attack. Kyoko pressed her back against mine. We turned, unsure which ones to charge first. And we were going to have to charge—our cramped quarters in the entryway left us no choice. I guess in retrospect it was stupid, but I really didn't want to rough up Mr. Kaname's house. I could've easily knocked out a wall to get in a better position, but I was afraid he'd get mad at me.

Just then, footsteps hammered down the stairs. "Kyoko," scolded a man with an unusually high voice, "did you break something? I swear! I shouldn't have let you get anywhere _near_ the sugar! Why I _never_—"

Mr. Kaname froze, baby Tatsuya in his arms. We gawked at each other as he took in the scene of us decked out in full Magic Girl armor, surrounded by creatures from some horror movie. This could get messy.

"Get to the basement!" barked Kyoko.

Madoka's dad hesitated. The redhead and I shredded through the enemies. We were trying to make it to him before they did. We knew he wouldn't last long. And Kyoko's instincts were spot on—there was only one way in and out of the basement, and it'd be easy to defend. But I didn't know where Madoka was, and she was my main priority. If she was upstairs, defending the staircase would be simple enough. Kyoko and I could split up. Unless, of course, the creatures found another way in.

The creatures burst in brief flashes of light whenever I struck them. Kyoko's spear affected them differently—let's just say it was kind of gooey and disgusting. We both took a few blows, but it was okay. Magic Girls are much tougher than ordinary people. Since our souls are trapped in gems, our bodies can take a lot of punishment before we feel pain. We also heal pretty fast. But then again, I wasn't a Magic Girl anymore. So, how was I staying alive through all this? I honestly didn't know. My arm that was cut felt a little better, but it still burned a bit when I swung it. I didn't feel numb like I used to when I was in battle. I hadn't noticed the change at the orphanage because of all the adrenaline and shock, but now I could clearly tell there was something different about me. Physically. But what was it? For now, it was a question for another time.

Mr. Kaname looked so scared and confused. Just like us. But unlike us, he was absolutely helpless. Well, maybe we were too, but at least we had the illusion of strength. Kyoko cut him a path.

"The basement!" I shouted. "Now!"

One of the monsters began shimmering with a strange light; I don't know how else to describe it—the creature swam through the floor like a ghost fish! The basement would be useless. No walls, no boundaries at all, could defend against these monsters. It was like, they didn't fully exist or something. They were slightly out of phase with our world. I said they were like ghosts, but they weren't quite like ghosts. They were solid when they wanted to be. We'd have to devise another plan. I wondered if Mr. Kaname had also realized the basement wasn't an option. Judging from the way he twisted his mouth in something that looked like a cross between surprise and excruciating pain, he had.

"Oh _screw_ that!" Mr. Kaname huffed.

He snapped into action and put Tatsuya, who was now wailing, under his shoulder. Then he kicked down a large landscape painting. Behind it was a safe. He spun the knob and pulled out a pistol. Bang! Bang! Black goo spurted from the heads of two of the creatures. We had backup? From Mr. Kaname? Kyoko and I exchanged shocked expressions.

"Take the middle!" he shouted. "I'll cover you!"

Fair enough. He burned through clips like there was no tomorrow. Monsters fell right and left. I don't think he missed a single time. So much for the quaint stay-at-home-dad. Madoka mentioned her father went to the shooting range on Saturdays, but I always thought she was kidding. Kids would tease her about him being a wuss, letting his wife dominate him and all, and I figured his hobby as a marksman was a silly lie to counter the bullying. I'd laughed about it once or twice. I wasn't laughing now.

Something pink caught the corner of my right eye.

"Daddy!" Madoka wailed as she ran down the stairs.

She clung to his leg. The commotion must've woken her. She was in her pajamas. But I knew where she was now, and I couldn't help but feel a massive wave of relief. Mr. Kaname fired more rounds as we slashed through hordes of foes pouring in from every direction. It was like they were appearing out of thin air—then we realized, they actually _were_ appearing out of thin air!

"Sayaka," Kyoko grunted as she pushed a corpse off her spear, "we can't keep this up forever. I hope you're packing a plan somewhere in that pinhead of yours!"

She could hope all she wanted; my mind was blank. My only strategy was to keep Madoka alive longer than me, and that was proving to be quite a lofty goal. I chopped down a few more enemies and turned my gaze to the Kaname's. Not good! New kinds of monsters were popping out from the ceiling. These guys wore tattered purple suits and held crossbows—all aimed at Madoka. I knew instantly what I had to do.

"Wait!" Kyoko shrieked.

She tried to grab me, but it was too late. I leapt right into the line of fire! Arrows of hot, red energy zinged toward me. I put an arm around the Kaname's, hugged them tight, and closed my eyes. _I will shield them, _I reasoned—if it could be called reasoning. It was meaningless. My sacrifice would only buy them a few more seconds. I imagined myself as a cresting wave on an angry ocean, somehow stuck in place, sheltering a tiny flock of seagulls—the storm would rip me to shreds.

**Chapter Four**

Klink! Klink!

The finishing blows never came. Instead, the crossbow creatures let out earsplitting wails as something hit them. Madoka and Mr. Kaname gasped almost in unison. Slowly, I relaxed and lifted my head. The room was quiet. Did we win? How on earth did we do it? I knew _I_ hadn't done anything.

Riku! It had to be him!

"Sayaka," the pink-haired girl tugged my sleeve, "look."

But no, it wasn't him. It was something far stranger. A bubble of blue energy, almost like a protective case of ice, had surrounded the three of us. I don't want to say it was ice, because it didn't look solid. It shimmered and shifted—and it was coming from me! Most of the monsters were squirming on the ground, scorched by the bolts it had ricocheted back at them. The few that were left scurried away to the shadows and disappeared. Kyoko stood scowling in the midst of shredded ribbon barriers she'd hastily conjured. Scowling, yes, but unharmed.

"Geez_, _Sayaka!" the redhead stomped. "Next time, when you, without any warning whatsoever, feel the need to put up a shield and bounce a lethal cloud of sharp objects everywhere, try to aim even closer to my head!" She slammed her spear on the ground. "What the _heck _did you just do anyway?"

"I, uh, I...don't know?"

It was the best response I could make.

"Hmph." She glared at me for what seemed like an eternity. I swallowed. She wouldn't attack me, would she? Finally, Kyoko broke the stare-down and just shrugged. "Eh, whatever." She cracked a smile as her ribbons melted away. "No harm, no foul. Good job."

I sighed and grinned. "Thanks."

What _had_ I just done? I never experienced that sort of power as a Magic Girl. I tried the trick again on only my hand. A little patch of rippling, blue energy appeared. All I had to do was feel the right emotion and push it outward. I wondered what another, different emotion might do, but it's hard to force yourself to feel a certain way when you don't already.

I felt so relieved. We'd won the battle. But the war? We were dealing with a girl who could apparently control memories, a time-traveling transfer student, a guy who commanded shadows, and a creepy Organization bent on harvesting hearts and hunting Madoka down at all costs. We didn't know which side to trust either. Who do you call to handle Witches, monsters, magic, Incubators, and Ghost People? The police? And how would I explain to Madoka how I killed those two men? Akio and Haruka? My chest tightened just thinking about it.

I reminded myself that explanations would have to wait, and that helped a little. Mr. Kaname would have to wait. Kyoko and Madoka would have to wait too. I needed to get to Kyousuke's place. Fast. I could handle it myself. I was pretty sure. _I'm getting the hang of my new powers_. And if I screwed up, I had the woman's voice to guide me. Kyoko could get the Kaname's to safety. She could drive. Not legally—she wasn't old enough—but she could do it very well and very fast. I'd rendevous with them soon. My departure might seem a bit sudden to Mr. Kaname and my friends, but there was no way around it.

I had to find Hitomi, even if it was just her body.

In my head, I scanned through the streets I used to ride my bike along after school, trying to decide on the quickest route. Meanwhile, everyone else was getting their bearings back, shifting from combat to conversation. Sometimes, it can feel like slamming into a brick wall.

"Right," Mr. Kaname scratched his head, pistol still in hand. "So, if you don't mind me asking...what's going on?"

Kyoko snorted. "As near as I can tell, Sayaka brought some of _her_ friends to _my _sleepover without asking."

"Kyoko," I started down the stairs, "I have to go. Get the Kaname's somewhere safe. Take a car. Keep driving until you run out of road. I'll tell you everything later."

"Wait!" The redhead shrieked and blocked my way. "Don't keep Mr. Kaname staring at me for an explanation! I've got nothing. I swear, you have such a penchant for trouble! You're always throwing a wrench into everything!"

I turned to make a response, but a force slammed me against the wall before I could get a word out. _It's not over! _Adrenaline surged fresh in my veins. I summoned my sword.

"Throwing a wrench indeed," came a sarcastic, swaggering voice. "Or more like a Keyblade. Man, oh man! You'd think that one day, I'd finally learn to stop tangoing with you Keyblade wielders!"

A portal of shadow coiled up a few feet from Kyoko. She was too petrified to move. She hadn't swung back into action fast enough, so nerves got her. Madoka pulled close to me and squealed. Mr. Kaname emptied the last rounds from his gun. No effect. A figure in a dark robe emerged. Was it Riku? No, the voice sounded nothing like him. This guy was too big. He tossed back his hood to reveal a yellow-toothed smile and one, sickly colored eye. The other eye—if he had one—was covered by a black patch like a pirate. A jagged, ugly scar ran along his cheek.

"Then again," he chuckled, "messing with your sort has only cost me an eye and a heart, a pretty penny, sure, but not bad for what I got in return." He pointed toward me. "Aqua! Greetings from the Organization. Good to see you're back in the saddle!"

_What did he just say?_ My head flicked ever so slightly, like someone had called me. But Aqua wasn't my name...was it? I felt suddenly light headed. I shook it off. Who was she? I couldn't think of anyone called Aqua. It was such a bizarre name, but it sounded so incredibly familiar. Was this some sort of mind game? Subliminal messaging? And now there were actual _people_ in the Organization? It wasn't all just Kyubeys and monsters? I got spooked and my brain shut down. All I could do was stand there watching, dumb, with Madoka huddled against me.

"Don't you remember me, Aqua?" The man patted his chest. "It's good old Braig! Well, Xigbar now, but, details. Ha ha! It's just like back with Master Xehanort. You haven't got a clue!" He winked at Kyoko. "My condolences for your friend, Sayaka. Though, as they say, the memories will live on."

Kyoko shook free of her daze and thrust her spear to his throat. "Who the _hell_ are you and what are you yapping about?" she snapped. "I want answers, not riddles!"

"Whoa! Easy there, tiger." He grabbed the spear and pushed it down with a snigger. "It's rather simple. Magic Girls don't come back from being Witches. So, whatever's in that body, it ain't 100% grade Sayaka. Kapeesh?"

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Just stop it! None of what you're saying is true!"

I completely lost control. You might think that by this point, after enduring so many mind games and traumas, I'd be over in the corner banging my head and crying. But my instincts kicked in and I thrust myself over the staircase, slicing my blade deep across Xigbar's stomach. It didn't even look like he had time to react. Some sort of spiked gun made of crystal materialized in his hand and fired off a shard, but it was too late. Xigbar lay panting before me. He seemed to be evaporating into little flecks of shadow, moving out from the gash. There wasn't any blood.

Then I heard Madoka make the strangest, smallest little sound, almost like a wounded bird. Slowly, I turned around. Kyoko's spear was on the ground. Her hands were cupped to her mouth. Madoka was covered in blood, but it wasn't hers. In the place where baby Tatsuya's head should have been, a shard of crystal jutted from Mr. Kaname's chest. The two bodies fell together down the stairs, jerked, and then were still.

"Oops." Xigbar rasped with a smile. "Catch'ya later, Aqua! Next time, bring trickier targets. It'll be _way_ more fun that way."


	4. Episode 4: Otherworld

****Episode 4: Otherworld****

**Chapter One**

Xigbar disappeared into a portal of shadow. All I could do was stare at Madoka, at the bodies of her brother and father, and try my best to keep forcing air in and out of my lungs. No one moved for a good five minutes, and thankfully, no monsters showed up to punish us for our indiscretion. I expected Madoka to cry, or faint, or pound her fists, or do _something_. But she stood there like a statue, dead, the whole time.

Finally, cautiously, Kyoko moved to the stairs, bent down, closed Mr. Kaname's eyes, and covered Baby Tatsuya's mangled flesh with some ribbons. She stepped over the corpses and gathered Madoka into her arms. The pink haired girl let herself go limp.

"Wherever you needed to go," Kyoko whispered to me, "it can wait."

"I'm so—"

"Sorry?" Kyoko shook her head and sighed. "What for?"

I didn't have a response.

Kyoko shifted Madoka and put a hand on my shoulder. "You listen to me, Sayaka. Those, those _things_...they are _not_ going to make me go Judas on you, okay?"

I nodded weakly. "Kyoko, I'm scared. It's the Organization, they're—"

"Come on," the redhead tugged gently on my sleeve. "Let's save chitchat for later. We need to get some serious distance between us and this place, pronto. And we're carrying deadweight."

Deadweight? Madoka. I cringed. I think Kyoko realized it was a poor choice of words, but she wasn't one to care about things like that. We headed for the garage. Somewhere along the way, the electricity flickered out. The storm raged and sprayed us through holes in the walls. Lightning lit our path. Paintings, sculptures, and pots crunched under our feet.

The Kaname's priceless collections were all gone, along with the Kaname's themselves. Everything. Gone. Maybe Mrs. Kaname was still alive out there, but I figured she didn't have long. Kyoko sensed it too—our duty was to stay with Madoka. Or what was left of her. I gazed into those glassy, brown eyes, frozen in fear. She was all that mattered now. Because, she was all that we had left.

**Chapter Two**

In the garage, the cars, the motorcycles, the minivans...everything was crushed to bits. It looked like a junkyard. With Madoka catatonic and no sign of the storm letting up, we were stuck. Kyoko eased to the floor. It took a minute for the implications to sink in. She smirked at me, shaking.

"You know," the redhead quipped, "I always thought my funeral would be better attended. But my two best friends showed up, so I guess it's not all bad."

"So what now?" I swallowed. "We wait here to die?"

"Unless you'd like to cut in line."

Suicide. We could both summon weapons. It'd be quick and easy. Except, who would kill Madoka? We weren't seriously intending to leave her behind for the monsters to pick up, were we? I tried to picture myself snapping her neck, stabbing her in the heart. My stomach churned. _No, I can't do that._

"I thought so." Kyoko winced. "Homura's lucky."

"Huh?"

"She's dead, right? That girl's _always_ one step ahead."

"You, you know?" Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Yeah, Sayaka. You read like an open book at a second grade level."

Combat had pushed Homura's death far from my mind, but now in that dark, damp garage, all the emotions flooded back. Kyoko scooted over with Madoka and pulled the three of us together. The pink haired girl was still in a stupor, her face stuck in a disturbing mix of shock and indifference. I stroked her cheek and cried with Kyoko.

"Madoka." I whimpered and kissed her forehead. "Homura wanted me to give you something." I unraveled the soggy, crinkled, pink notebook paper and pressed it into her hand. "It's a letter, from her, thanking you for being her friend."

Kyoko cocked an eyebrow.

"It's a long story," I explained. _And you'll probably never get to hear it._

Madoka was already as good as dead. My mind flitted briefly back to suicide. Who would want to live after seeing their family slaughtered like that? Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to finish her. Drool hung at the corner of her mouth. She looked like one of those students they kept in the special room at school. I know it might sound a tad melodramatic, but at the time, I seriously wondered if she was always going to be stuck that way.

Raindrops leaked from the roof and mingled with my tears. _Don't just be Madoka's guardian_, Naminé had said, _protect everyone._ At least, that's what the Organization called her. I wasn't even sure what the blonde girl's real name was, and yet I felt so bad about letting her down. I couldn't even protect a single one of my friends! Why hadn't Riku just killed me in the rail yard? Why did I have to live?

_I'm a failure! I'm worthless, and I want to die!_

I rose to my feet. "Riku!"

Kyoko eyed me warily. "Sayaka..."

"Riku!" I screamed and ignored her. "Where are you? Why didn't you come? Why didn't you help us?" I grabbed a shelf and slung it to the floor. "Answer me!" I toppled a table with tools on it and sent them clanking across the room. "Answer me, you coward!"

"Sayaka!" Kyoko snapped. "Get control of yourself!"

"Why should I?" I sneered. "Am I going to attract more monsters? Fine! Let them come!"

She said nothing. Instead, she held out her Soul Gem. It was clouded. Dark. It looked almost as bad as mine did back at the train station. Cracks snaked along the top.

"Because if you don't calm down," Kyoko glared, "I'm going to break."

"No." My voice got quiet. "You can't! Kyoko, you can't leave me!"

I was going to be alone. Just me and the lump that used to be Madoka. I couldn't bear the thought. I couldn't control the anger burning hot in my cheeks. My knees buckled. I felt like I was going to pass out. Kyoko's Witch was about to hatch. And I couldn't do anything but watch it happen.

_Help me_, my heart pleaded.

And then, something brushed against my side. I glimpsed the outline of a young woman, hazy, ghostlike. She came into focus. She looked almost exactly like me, but older. She even had my blue hair. I was sure it was a hallucination. Once she spoke, I recognized her immediately—she was the voice inside my head.

"Don't be afraid," the woman said. "You bear the most powerful weapon of all."

My blade appeared in my hand. The woman grabbed my arm and aimed the sword at Kyoko's Soul Gem. Light gathered on the tip, like a laser ready to fire. The redhead looked surprised, then she relaxed and smiled. She didn't see the woman. She saw only me, glowing with a strange, bright light, poised to kill her.

Kyoko closed her eyes. "Do it."

There was a blinding flash, a scream, and then silence.

I heard someone panting. When my vision came back, I saw Kyoko sitting there, dazed, still clutching Madoka. Her hand was scorched and bleeding. Tiny shards of her Soul Gem poked from the skin.

"Kyoko," I gasped.

"Did I just...die?" The redhead gawked at her hand.

Something crunched. Both our heads shot toward a pile of rubble further out in the garage. A figure in a black robe had just emerged from a portal of shadow. My grip tightened on my blade, but I knew there wasn't any danger as soon as I spotted Hitomi's petite silhouette nestled snug under its arm. How could I have been so stupid? It suddenly hit me where Riku had been—Homura wasn't my only stalker.

"Incredible." He pulled back his hood. "You restored her."

**Chapter Three**

I'd never seen Riku's face before, and I was kind of glad because I probably would've attacked him had he shown it back in the rail yard. Two yellow lights smoldered under a blindfold in place of eyes. Even in the shadows, I was struck by how sickly and pale his skin looked, almost like someone had powdered it. His face was clean shaven. His head was a different story—messy, snow white hair jutted in all directions. Riku's appearance seemed all the more unnatural next to bright green eyed, brown haired Hitomi. Her cheeks were pinked and her face was, O thank God, so alive with color.

I haven't mentioned much about Hitomi until now. I feel sorry for giving the impression that she was just some random girl who stole Kyousuke away from me. But at that point in time, that's exactly how I felt about her. It didn't help that she was, by all accounts, a raving beauty. Actually, we used to be very close friends. Her, Madoka, and I. When Hitomi's mom died, she became an orphan. Just like me. But even though we found great support in each other's company, we drifted apart once Mami entered my life and taught me the existence of Magic Girls. It'd only been a few weeks since then, but for middle school girls, that's twice times eternity. Hitomi was very religious, and Madoka and I didn't know how she'd react to our plan to contract with Kyubey. I wish we would've told her. She owned Bibles big enough to crush that pitiful creature's skull in one smack.

And then, of course, there was the kiss. In retrospect, I don't know why I was so torn up about it. Hitomi _did_ warn me beforehand that she was going to declare her love for Kyousuke if I didn't. She even gave me a grace period of a day. And moreover, I still didn't have the full story—not yet. She cared about me. And I knew why I'd felt so scared for her. I cared about her too.

"Madoka!" Hitomi jogged toward us. "What happened?"

"Her family died," I said flatly.

I heard a clank as the brown haired girl knelt beside Kyoko. That's when I noticed it—a blade sort of like mine. One side of the sword's hilt was crafted in the shape of a breaking wave, the other twisted up into a beige vine that wrapped around the shaft, which gleamed with the colors of sunset. I remembered what Xigbar had said to me about throwing a "Keyblade," as he'd called it, into everything. Intricate flower designs were etched on the end of Hitomi's sword...like the teeth of a giant key! And come to think of it, the cresting wave at the tip of my blade bent roughly in the shape of key teeth as well.

_Your blade, _Naminé's words echoed in my head, _it's also a key that will open many hearts and bring them healing_. It had opened Kyoko's Soul Gem and released her spirit back into her body. I wondered what else it could open.

I stared at Hitomi. "That's a Keyblade."

The brown haired girl's eyes flitted between mine and Madoka's. Did she not hear me? She seemed to be weighing who deserved priority. Suddenly, her classroom monitor face flipped on. Levelheaded, authoritative. All of her attention went to Madoka.

"She's in shock." Hitomi told Kyoko. "We need to treat her."

Hitomi rubbed the pink haired girl's arms and laid her flat, and with the redhead's help, elevated her legs and covered her with a towel from beside the washer and dryer. Kyoko kept her sight fixed on Riku the whole time and appeared ready to flee at a moment's notice. I couldn't blame her. He was definitely an unsettling sight.

Riku came over and tapped Hitomi's shoulder. "Madoka's not in shock." He shook his head. "It's the darkness. We just need to get her someplace safe so she can recover. She'll be fine...well, as fine as she can be, considering the circumstances."

"Okay then," the redhead got to her feet and grimaced as she wiped blood and glass from her hand. "Are you Riku? Because I would _seriously _like to know what's going on now."

The robed figure nodded. "You're all being hunted by a powerful Organization that operates on the brink of reality, by people who lost their hearts to the darkness and no longer truly exist. To keep themselves from fading into oblivion, they feast upon the souls of the slain. They created Kyubey to harvest the hearts of young girls during adolescence when the dark energies they crave are strongest. We call them Nobodies. We, the bearers of the Keyblade, the guardians of hearts and the keepers of worlds, are their bitter enemies."

**Chapter Four**

Kyoko's jaw hit the floor. I think I blinked twice before Riku's words settled into my brain. All I could register him saying was something along the lines of,_You're all in big trouble and even if I sat you down for ten minutes each, you still wouldn't get just how big of trouble you're in_. An Organization on the edge of the universe? Actively hunting us? People who aren't really there anymore? What are you supposed to do with that kind of information? Kyubey went_way _beyond my little world at Mitakihara Junior and Senior High School Center. Way, way beyond.

Hitomi handled things a lot better. Or she'd already heard the spiel. Riku and her seemed awfully chummy...it was really creepy. She didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that he came across like Dracula's more athletic son. And the way he talked—so cool and detached...it was unnerving. Why did Hitomi seem to trust him so much?

And then it hit me.

"Where's Kyousuke?" It came out as a whisper.

Hitomi looked like she was ignoring me again. Then, her lips quivered. "Later."

_Oh no, is he...?_ I shoved the thought away. Not a good time to deal with it. For all I knew, we were still in danger of another attack at any moment.

Riku put his hand on my back. "You did well today, Sayaka."

I shivered. _How would he know?_

My eyes went wide. "Have you been—"

"Following you?" His powdery skin cracked as he smirked. "I know the gist of your story."

I gulped. "Oh?"

"I can't make heads or tails of how you did it," he crossed his arms, "but you came back from being a Heartless. Only one other guy's done that...and you bested him. You acquired a Keyblade from it."

"Wait." I squinted. "A Heartless?"

He tossed me a dusty, bunged up journal. Ansem Reports.

"The being at the core of a Witch," Riku instructed. "It's all in the book. Read it."

He turned back to Kyoko and Hitomi. The redhead's mouth was still wide open, but she closed it long enough to gather Madoka up in her arms again without drooling on her. Riku guided the three of them to my side and fastened silver bangles to each of our wrists. They looked rather plain, save for Hitomi's, which sported a jeweled, crown-shaped button. He crouched to get eye-level with Hitomi.

"Can you remember everything I told you?" he asked the brown haired girl.

"I think so." She nodded. "Yes."

"Don't activate the bangles until I give the word." He grabbed her hand, raising her sword. "I gave you this Keyblade for a reason. Wield it with strength, courage, and grace. You're in charge from now on. Do you understand?"

Hitomi squeezed his hand gently.

"Come on," he teased in a super eery way. "Is that all you've got?"

She squeezed harder.

Puke scorched the back of my tongue. I imagined that a giant, second jaw would break out of Riku's mouth at any moment now and chomp Hitomi's head off. I'd seen similar stuff fighting Witches—Mami's horrible death still haunted me. My gut, my brain...every single part of me recoiled at the thought of the shadowy man.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait!" Kyoko protested. "Why is _she_ in charge, Mr. Creeper? Why not Sayaka?"

"Because," Riku completely ignored her snideness, "Hitomi saved my life."

"What?" I squeaked.

Hitomi blushed. She was as modest as ever. It'd be disgusting if it wasn't so adorable. But how did the brown haired beauty, whose hobbies ranged from Wednesday Bible study to Friday floral arrangement and piano lessons, manage to impress the shadowy man who took on Homura, the most powerful Magic Girl of all?

"And Sayaka," Riku continued, "I'm uneasy about Naminé's involvement in your...resurrection."

So, he knew that too. "Why?"

"Read the book. That girl's not to be trusted—she has a way of messing with your mind. But if you want to know what really made my decision, it's quite simple—Hitomi had the sense not to make deals with a demon cat promising to make her wildest dreams come true. Wisdom outweighs combat experience."

The icy disapproval in his voice sliced into my heart—it felt like my soul was being judged. I didn't know if it was just his tone or...something more. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Was I really such a fool? Was I to blame for all that'd happened? I was never good at taking criticism. I felt like I'd screwed up my life and everybody else's too.

"He has a point..." Kyoko conceded with a shrug and a shudder.

_But I just wanted to help people. What's so stupid about that? I was ready and willing to die! How was I supposed to know Kyubey was evil? I risked my life fighting Witches every day! It's not the sort of allure you'd expect from a scam..._

I jumped a little when the woman's voice answered, _I know, but part of leading is learning how to follow, right? And building trust among friends is far more important than giving orders anyway. That'll be your job._

"Yeah," I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. "I guess so."

The redhead gave an almost imperceptible little nod. She must've thought I was talking to her. Fine. Everybody already thought I was nuts. Why give them a few more acorns to chew?

"Hey, hold on! Aren't you coming with us?" Kyoko glowered at Riku. "Why aren't _you_ in charge?"

"Because I'm actually not coming with you. I have to hold off the second wave to cover your escape. And that means I fully expect to die within the hour."

"Wave two?" I clutched a hand to my chest.

The brown haired beauty finally lost her cool.

"No!" Hitomi shrieked. "You can't just drop all this on us and walk off!"

The air chilled and the noises came. Deep and guttural. Like an old man's laugh. My nose wrinkled as the strong scent of blood and roses filled the garage. Vines curled down from the walls. It was a Witch Maze!

Riku gestured for us to get behind him. He stepped forward, took out a tiny star charm made of seashells, kissed it, and grinned.

"Alright, Marluxia. Let's finish it."

The shadowy man's strange ritual with his star charm seemed so out of character. Almost sentimental, in fact. I didn't know who Marluxia was. Maybe the guy who gave him the charm. Maybe an enemy. There was a deep sadness and weariness in Riku's voice. I recognized it, because I'd heard it in my own voice back at the train station when I'd told Kyoko that I was a fool—it was the final sigh of a soul ready for it to all be over. Now I understood why Hitomi trusted Riku. And I decided I would trust him too.

Riku pointed his Keyblade back at us without turning. "Give Avatar Aang my greetings. Should the subject come up, I'm a shadowbender. No Keyblades, got it? And stick to one element with your magic—you'll know what I'm talking about soon enough. If everything goes as planned, you'll die of old age in your new home. If not, I'll probably see you again. And don't let on that you're from another world. Should you get lost or confused, look in the book—everything's in there."

I glanced over at Hitomi, hoping she was in on this. She gazed back and mouthed, _Another world?_ That answered my question.

"Alright." Riku ordered as light gathered at the tip of his Keyblade. "Hitomi, go ahead and—"

**Chapter Five**

Everything stopped. Literally. Even the noises and the smells. Riku froze, the Witch Maze froze, the storm outside froze...only the four of us seemed to be moving. We exchanged confused looks. Kyoko shifted Madoka's weight. The brown haired beauty began gnawing her nails.

_Is it Naminé?_ I'd only seen two people do something like this, and because Homura was dead, I knew it _had_ to be the blonde girl—either that, or maybe Riku. But why would he freeze himself? Was it part of what he had to do in order to send us to another world?

"Hey Hitomi," I nudged. "Is this supposed to be happening?"

"How should I know?"

"Well, you and Riku seemed to be on the same page. Just thought I'd ask."

"Sh!" Kyoko hissed. "Do you hear that?"

Something rustled behind us. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end—somebody was standing there, watching us. I could sense it. Slowly, we all turned around. Hitomi looked more surprised than terrified, but that's because she didn't know. Kyoko, on the other hand, nearly dropped Madoka.

"...Homura?" I whispered.

I couldn't believe it, but there she was, dressed in a white, hooded robe. And she wasn't alone—another girl stood next to her, dressed the same way. The new girl had red eyes that smoldered like embers, an absolutely wicked smile, and—I kid you not—fangs where her canine teeth should've been.

"Sorry for the interruption," the red-eyed girl cooed, "but we need you out of the picture for awhile—say, a few decades or so."

"Oh shit." Kyoko stepped back.

I didn't need to understand what the other girl had said to know something evil was headed our way, something far more terrible than anything we'd yet encountered. It wasn't that I didn't think the situation couldn't get any worse—my time fighting Witches as a Magic Girl had conditioned me against that—but Homura...

_"_...You're a, a bad guy?" I sputtered. "But, why? That doesn't make any sense at all! How are you even still _alive_?"

"The Organization got you, didn't they?" Hitomi assumed a defensive stance and readied her Keyblade.

"On the contrary." The dark haired girl extended her arm and spread her hand. "We are the Pleiades Saints, the saviors who shall purge the worlds of both the Organization and the Keyblade—those two desolating abominations which threaten the Holy Place." A blue sigil of a clock appeared at Homura's finger tips, the center popped out, and lightning arced from the four cardinal corners to feed a growing ball of energy.

_Is that a weapon?_ I summoned my Keyblade and positioned myself beside Hitomi. _Homura died to save me just an hour ago...and now she's breathing again and readying an attack?_

"Homura, stop!" I demanded. "This is crazy! What are you going to do, kill us? What for? What about Madoka?"

"Quiet," she hissed. "Madoka shall be well, but no thanks to you, _heroes_ of the realm of light!"

_Homura...what happened to you?_

My memories get really choppy here. Hitomi and I lunged. The energy ball exploded. I lost my footing. There was a shockwave. I heard a sucking sound and felt the rush of air. Everything went out of focus. One of my finger tips popped open and spurted blood. I felt like knives were cutting into me.

"Hitomi," I screamed, "Hitomi, hit the bangle, hit the bangle _NOW!_"

Click, click, click! Something cold spread out across my skin. The walls melted away to reveal a sea of stars.

**Chapter Six**

After that, I don't know where I went or how long I stayed there. I felt queasy, like I was in perpetual free-fall. I tried to scream again and again, but I couldn't. Soon I got sleepy and began to dream—not in images or sounds, but only emotions. I dreamt I was alone. I wanted someone, anyone, beside me. I didn't know where the others were, and I wondered if they felt the same way as I did. Eventually, even that faded. I sunk into oblivion. I wasn't aware of anything, not even myself.

That's when my head hit something—_hard_.

For a few seconds, I thought I was back in my bedroom at the orphanage and had simply rolled off my mattress and onto the floor. However, the jagged shapes around me didn't give way like piles of clothes and I couldn't hear any of the familiar sounds of home—in place of the shouts of workers giving chase to noisy toddlers in the hallways, there was only howling wind; in place of the jingle of utensils as breakfast was being prepared downstairs, there was only rolling thunder.

_Am I still dreaming?_

I wondered if I was having one of those night terrors where you think you're awake when you're really not. I tried to push myself up to move around, but my clothes weighed me down.

"Please remain still, User Sayaka Miki," a male voice instructed. "I am finalizing repairs to your integumentary system—portions of your skin were briefly exposed to the vacuum of space before your suit could fully deploy. Thankfully, your regeneration magic automatically assisted in protecting your soft tissues, thus there should be no lasting cosmetic damage beyond a minimal scar on your left ring finger."

"What the..." My eyes fluttered open. Blurry blobs. I scrunched them shut and tried to ignore my pounding headache. "Who's talking to me?"

"My name is Tron," said the voice. "I am the tactical computer inside your Subclass-A Keyblade Armor. Be advised that your current location is unknown and the atmospheric composition here is toxic. Hence, I advise you to keep your helmet on at all times and proceed with extreme caution. Currently, I am searching for Squad Leader Hitomi Shizuki's signal."

_Hitomi?_ Her identity danced just beyond my grasp—I felt so groggy. I couldn't remember anything. _What's going on?_

"I am now activating the SmartGravity functionalities of your armor. You may move about freely. You will be pleased to hear that spiritual anomolies have not been detected in your vicinity. I will contact you again shortly. Godspeed, User Sayaka Miki."

Tron went offline.

I struggled to my feet and reached up to rub my head.

Clank!

"Huh?"

I opened my eyes. Silvery, metal plates covered my entire body. The sleek outfit looked like a cross between a spacesuit and medieval knight armor. An emblem of an aquamarine, five-pointed star was emblazoned on the chest. My visor tinted the rocks and sand surrounding me with shades of blue. I surveyed the landscape. Jagged cliffs rose up on either side. The canyon I was in seemed utterly devoid of life. Clouds billowed high above, striking the tallest rocks with a constant barrage of lightning. I scaled a nearby hill to get a better look. Then, I saw a huge patch of naked sky.

"Whoah."

A ringed gas giant graced the horizon, its gorgeous streaks of orange, violet, and cyan illumined by two alien suns. You could see some stars as well, like during late evening hours on Earth. My eyes slowly moved downward to survey the valley below. Scraps of metal and machinery lay strewn as far as I could see. A giant, ring-like structure surrounded the wreckage, dominating the view. It was enormous, at least several hundred feet tall and a mile or two in diameter, and gray like the native rocks. It looked really old, like a temple, but it's shape was more suggestive of a spaceship. A large hole gaped in its side. Beauty and destruction clashed, bringing my memories rushing back. I fell to my knees under their weight.

"O God," I whimpered. "Where _am_ I?"


	5. Episode 5: The Encounter

**Well, it's taken much longer than I expected. I hope this new episode will be well worth the wait for you. I don't think the next one will take nearly as long to write.**

**Episode 5: The Encounter**

**Chapter One**

_"_User Sayaka Miki_,_" Tron crackled, "we have searched for approximately 4.5 hours and I am still unable to locate Squad Leader Hitomi Shizuki and Users Kyoko Sakura and Madoka Kaname. I suggest that we seek shelter for the night and extend our search radius tomorrow."

"Sorry, Tron." A sheet of steel blocked my way; I heaved it aside. "We're not stopping until I find my friends."

Tron had been talking at me constantly ever since I'd arrived on the strange planet, mainly about taking it easy and setting up camp using materials salvaged from the debris. Now, he'd finally gone silent. I couldn't help but picture him as a concerned teacher, watching me with disapproval and pursed lips, eager to swoop in as soon as I failed so he could have the smug satisfaction of knowing better than me.

_Well Tron_, I decided, _I'm not going to give you that satisfaction._

I pressed on, tripping, getting back up, and repeating the ritual again and again. The canyon was so much bigger than it looked. I thought it would be only a short hike from one side to the other; I was _dead_ wrong. My resolve weakened.

_Riku gave me Tron...maybe I should listen to him and take a break?_

Nevertheless, my feet kept moving. The brighter of the two alien suns sank below the horizon, leaving the smaller, duller one to cast a soft, reddish orange glow across the landscape.

_I can't give up. But resting doesn't necessarily mean that I'm giving up, right? I won't be worth anything to my friends if I'm exhausted, and I'll start searching again really soon._

My legs burned with every step, my breath came unevenly, but deep down I knew, no matter how much I wanted to stop, I wasn't going to.

_Sayaka, you stubborn fool! Are you truly concerned about your friends, or do you just want to march until you die because you think you deserve it?_

In the quiet, all the terrible things I'd done and seen over the past few days crept back into my awareness. The guilt of having killed Akio and Hakura nipped at my heels whenever my pace slowed, and I felt if I turned around, I'd see Madoka's family laying there with their corpses on the barren ground.

I shook the image away.

"Tron, are you registering _any_ signals at all yet?"

"Nothing identifiable. However, since you queried, I am aware of faint electromagnetic disturbances emanating from somewhere inside the unknown ring structure. If these disturbances contain a data signature, the exterior shell seems to be impeding its transmission."

"Alright," I panted, "we'll go inside and check it out."

Tron hesitated. "Medical scans indicate that you are currently suffering from severe fatigue. I must strongly advise against that course of action."

I gazed up at the colossal, dark, dilapidated ruins. "Yeah," I muttered, "both you _and_ my gut. But Tron, honestly, do we have any other options?"

"Yes," he argued, "it is imperative to obtain shelter and adequate sleep prior to engaging in physically strenuous explorations."

_There he goes lecturing about making camp again..._

"Tron, we've been over this already!" I snapped. "Do you see any shelter around _besides_ the big, scary temple-ship thing?"

"No, however, I do have subroutines which can teach you how to quickly and efficiently use scrap metal to construct—"

"Shut up, Tron! Just _shut up!_ I'm not going to waste my time building a tent out of tinfoil while my friends might be in trouble! End of discussion!"

He got quiet.

_Wow, I guess Kyoko's temper is rubbing off on me...can you hurt a machine's feelings?_ _Tron is just a machine, right? Or is he magical like all the other weird crap in my life?_

It didn't matter. For the foreseeable future, Tron was my only companion. _I have to treat him like a person,_ I told myself, _that's the only way I'll keep sane._ A nearby boulder offered a good resting place; I took the opportunity to take some weight off my feet and make up for my outburst.

"Listen, Tron," I sighed, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm just really tired and scared. I need some space, okay? I want to gather my thoughts and decide what to do on my own. If I manage to get into any worse trouble than I'm already in, I deserve it, so don't worry about me."

"Apology accepted, but I am programmed to worry about you and thus cannot fully comply with your request. To avoid additional confrontations, would you like me to switch to Passive-Alert mode?"

I didn't know what that meant, but I figured anything would be better than constant chatter in my ear. "Yes, please."

"As you wish. I will no longer provide longterm tactical assistance unless asked to do so. Also, instead of forbidding actions that I deem potentially hazardous, I will only inform you of immediate dangers and concerns. And don't forget—emergency rations and 1.2 liters of water are located inside your armor and can be accessed by voice command at any time."

"That sounds good, Tron." I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the rock. "No hurt feelings?"

"Of course not. Your happiness is my satisfaction."

**Chapter Two**

For a good ten minutes, there was nothing but rumbling thunder and the crunch-crunch of my footsteps. Just me, my guilt, and swarms of imaginary monsters hiding behind every stone and wreck pile, hungry to devour my flesh. I walked with my arms crossed and my head down. I tried to process everything that had happened back in Madoka's garage.

_The red-eyed girl said she needed us out of the way for a few decades or so_, I reasoned, _which must mean I'm in the future. But I'm definitely NOT on Earth. Are the others here with me? What about Madoka? Homura said she'd be safe—does that mean Hitomi, Kyoko, and I aren't? Do I trust Homura's words anymore? Why did she call us heroes of the realm of light?_

It was all too much. I needed a plan, something simple to focus on and hold myself together with.

_Find Hitomi. Find Kyoko. Find Madoka. Get off this planet somehow and find Avatar...what did Riku call it? Angie? Yang? No, Aang. Find Avatar Aang. Then what? That's it—that's all I have to do._

Biggest understatement ever, but I had my goal, and just in time—I was getting too anxious to think clearly anymore.

I slowly made headway for the ring structure, repeating the mantra, _Find my friends, find Avatar Aang,_ over and over in my head. It helped calm me a little. I also forced myself to take in my surroundings to avoid getting paralyzed by fear. The ship wreckage looked fresh—some of it was still smoldering. A large scrap on a junk pile caught my eye. The sharp letters, "PROM," were emblazoned across it. The rest of the word was gone.

"Prom? Eh?" I shivered and shook my head. "How cheery..."

The junk pile collapsed!

I squealed and pressed myself against the ground. My heart was pounding so fast that it felt like my brain was going to explode. I scrunched my eyes shut. Soon, everything got still again.

I rose to my feet and dared to look.

"Target acquired," Tron reported. A red circle flashed on my visor, marking the junk pile. "User Sayaka Miki, I have detected unknown bio-signs in your immediate vicinity. Prepare for potential hostilities."

I struggled to hold my Keyblade steady as I approached the blinking target. A corpse sat propped against the junk pile. Charred bits of spacesuit flapped loosely on the legs. Pieces of what I assumed to be the ship's hull obscured the body's upper half—or so I thought. When I nudged the wreckage aside with my Keyblade, I discovered there was no upper half. It looked like it had been gnawed off at the spine...but, by what? I knelt down to be sure I had the right target.

"Tron, are you sure you—"

Screech!

Something massive slid down from above. Iron bars clanged as I screamed and rolled to the side. The creature thumped to the ground, writhing and clawing. It was huge, black, and serpentine, with spikes, a tail, no eyes, and an oblong head with a massive jaw locked in a scream. Something blue and fuzzy scuttled over it like a giant spider and darted into the rocks. I didn't get a good look. The serpent creature shrieked and gave chase. The dust settled, and they were gone.

"I can't do this!" I broke down and sobbed.

I wanted to hear the now-familiar woman's voice in my head, reassuring me. Guiding me. Instead, all I got were dozens of pinging warning noises telling me that my blood pressure and heartbeat were out of control—I _knew_ that! I struggled to get my breathing settled and blinked my eyes to banish the purple ripples floating across my vision. My ears were ringing. My chest felt tight. It was horrible. I wanted to run but I couldn't move.

"Behind you!" Tron warned. "Localized gravitational ana—"

Bang! It sounded like a shotgun went off. A hand lunged from the junk pile and grabbed my arm. I screamed and blacked out.

**Chapter Three**

"Sayaka?" A blob hovered over me. "Sayaka!"

"User Kyoko Sakura detected," Tron announced.

The redhead gradually came into focus. Her armor was similar to mine, but it had a red star on it instead of a blue one. I swallowed and coughed. Kyoko smirked and bent her helmet down close to mine.

"You passed out and peed on me," she whispered. The redhead pointed to a puddle a few feet away. "But that's okay—I peed on you _too_. I guess our suits flush automatically."

I couldn't help but smile. "Kyoko." I grabbed her hand and stared with tearful eyes. "I'm so glad to see you. I'm so glad I'm not alone."

Our armor clanked as we hugged. Kyoko, efficient as ever, used the gesture to pull me to my feet.

"Come on," the redhead patted my shoulder. "Let's find Madoka and Hitomi."

"They're not with you?" I mumbled groggily.

"No." Kyoko slung my arm around her. "It looks like we each came in separately—well, let's _hope_ we did." I stumbled a bit. "Easy now, _easy_. Lean your weight on me. I'm not sure I'm supposed to be moving you around."

We hobbled for a few steps before I stopped cold. The memory of the horrid, serpentine monster I'd seen punched me like a fist to the stomach. How long would it be before it caught that blue thing and returned for seconds?

"Kyoko...did you see it?" I cried. "The monster—it's horrible!"

"Huh?" she cocked her head. "See what monster where?"

As if to answer, the dreadful creature screeched. It sounded distant—for now. But it had heard Kyoko's noisy entry. It was coming. It was hungry. I was positive. My heart rate kicked up again and I started to shake.

"Sayaka," Kyoko picked up speed. "Listen to me. I want you to look back and check. Is there any poop in our pee puddle?"

The question seemed so bizarre, so gross, it shocked me out of my panic.

"What?" I grimaced. "Ew, no!"

"There isn't? Okay, then I didn't see anything, nor do I want to—now, _come_ on, Sayaka! Stop being lazy and _move_!"

Kyoko dragged me along as she ran from the monster, and it took all my effort just to lift my feet at the right times. She always kept her head in the game. She knew exactly how to diffuse a tense situation and keep everyone cool. It's why I think she would've made a good leader on Witch hunts, had she not always insisted on fighting the monsters solo. I admired her focus, though I certainly didn't envy the way she'd come across it. The girl wasn't a newcomer to tragedy. I relaxed, taking comfort in her strength.

"Stay with me, Sayaka!" the redhead shouted.

I heard shrieks and the pounding of the monster's gallop. Its speed was incredible. It wasn't far behind us now. Maybe fifty to one-hundred yards. Everything sounded distorted, so I couldn't tell. I found myself giving up on life again, like I'd done so many times before during the past few days. My head was swimming, or rather dog-paddling, barely keeping itself above delirium. As I drifted in and out of awareness from sheer exhaustion, I thought about what else Kyoko was running from. I know it's a silly thing to think about somebody else's baggage when you're at death's door, but I felt pity for her—pity that a girl a lot like myself was going to share a fate a lot like mine. I wanted my last act of kindness to be to think about someone other than myself.

I haven't talked much about Kyoko's family history yet. It was so surreal to think that a little less than a week before—ignoring possible time travel—the redhead had grabbed me by the throat in an abandoned church and was ready to choke me to death for throwing away her snack food. That's when she broke down and told me everything.

Her father, Joachim Mizrahi, had been an Anglican priest, a modern missionary to Japan. He had a wife, Juli, and two daughters, Kyoko and her younger sister, Momo. Even though the whole family was ethnically Ashkenazi or Germanic Jewish and had lived in America for two generations, he wanted his daughters fully integrated into Japanese society. That's why he gave them both names that would help them fit in. He even changed the family name to Sakura, the kanji characters for which roughly mean "a storehouse of help." It really described how the Mizrahis saw themselves and their mission. As for Kyoko's name, it means apricot. Momo means peach.

But the family's new home proved harsh. Unlike many of his colleagues, Father Mizrahi followed the more liberal currents in the Church. Social justice instead of, as he'd called it, "stagnant old dogma." It didn't help that he was an American—a stereotypical progressive. The other priests began to spread rumors about him and denounce him as a heretic. Sunday after Sunday, his congregation dwindled and his coffers emptied. Soon, he struggled just to feed his own family. They often went without meals. Things looked pretty bleak. There was talk in the family about moving back to Michigan, a strange place neither Momo nor her sister had ever been.

Then, one day, Kyoko met Kyubey in a back-alley while rummaging through donations from a grocery store. The creature offered hope and she didn't hesitate to accept it. The redhead's wish was simple—she wanted people to just give her father a chance and listen to him. At first, she suspected she'd merely hallucinated the encounter from being so hungry all the time, but in a matter of days, the pews filled and the money rolled in. She'd never seen her father so happy! She imagined them fighting against the evils of the world together, sort of like a superhero team—she took on the Witches by night, he took on the injustices of the human heart by day. Everything was perfect, until she told her dad about it.

True, Kyoko's father _was_ a churchman, but he didn't really believe in the supernatural. I think he saw Jesus as more of an unfortunate but wise rebel, whose compassionate spirituality was nonetheless worthy of imitation. Thus, when he saw firsthand the world of Witches and Magic Girls, he snapped. His whole, as the redhead called it, "religious humanism" came crashing down under the weight of a blackened sky filled with evil spirits. Kyoko didn't go into much detail, but the story ended with her father calling her an abomination and slaughtering the entire family—all except Kyoko, who no matter how much she bled, somehow wouldn't die. Her father committed suicide, thinking that people only listened to him because they were controlled by a magic spell.

If you looked Kyoko in the eyes long enough, you could see the horror and the grief of that terrible moment, plastered there forever. When I'd first met her, I was stunned by the ferocity in her glance, the unbridled rage and fury; now, I could only make out sorrow, confusion, and fear. A lost little girl. A dear friend. And I loved her.

"Kyoko," I sighed, "Goodbye."

Those beautiful, tragic eyes went wide as I pushed myself away from them. The redhead screamed. Tron issued warning after warning. I rolled in the dust. The monster was on top of me. Its claws tore at my armor, then at my flesh. Kyoko started running again. Good. That's what I wanted. To go into the darkness, knowing that my final deed belonged to the light.

**Chapter Four**

I was back in the abandoned church building where Kyoko had tried to strangle me. I didn't know how I got there. It was dark outside. I couldn't even see light from the street lamps flickering in the broken stained-glass panels. Instead, a warm glow came up from a rose window placed in the floor. The rays of light filled my heart with streams of pure joy. It was a remarkable sensation. It was like being held in someone's arms, knowing that all my sins were forgiven. I'd never felt better. Perfect, dreamlike bliss. I didn't have any cares or worries. For a brief moment, the past was completely forgotten. All I knew was the present.

_Is this...Heaven?_ I wondered.

"I don't know," came a familiar voice, "but people have always said that Kingdom Hearts lies within."

I turned around. Naminé. She was standing near the church doors in her pretty little white dress. She walked up the main aisle with a smile. Her hair drifted in an unseen wind. She radiated the same, strange, joyous light. She looked sort of like a saint from one of those old religious paintings.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The blonde girl sighed.

_The light?_

"Yes." She paced. "Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and all the worlds disappeared. But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost worlds—they created the entire universe anew. It's the one we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away. Do you understand?"

I stood there, too enraptured to react.

Naminé appeared deep in thought. "My grandmother used to tell me that story every night before I went to bed. That was long before I became what I am now, way back when I had a real name—Kairi. And she'd always ask the same question at the end. I couldn't have been more than four years old, and yet I'd nod as if it all made perfect sense. And perhaps it did..."

The blonde girl moved to the altar and grabbed a candle. It was the only one up there, and it was lit. She made her way back toward me, gently smiling the whole time. I was absolutely mesmerized.

"I still remember when we first met." She closed her eyes. "I've learned a lot since then. For you, it's only been a few days. For me, on the other hand...time is no longer as meaningful as it once was." A tear sparkled on her cheek. "Sayaka, I've come to fulfill my promise to you. I want to explain what I did to you, so that you can decide who you want to become. But it will take time. There are so many memories that I must show you first."

I frowned. "You're cryptic as ever."

My voice startled me; it was deeper, more mature; it was the woman's voice, the one who talked to me in my head! I looked down into a panel of the rose window. The woman gazed back. I felt the peace from the light leave me. Fear came again. I backed away from Naminé.

"Aqua," the blonde girl leaned in and whispered, "I believe that what God has begun in you, he will see to completion—you will open the door."

She gently blew on the candle. At first, the flame shrank to a small, blue bead; then, it grew until there was nothing but fire and heat.

**Chapter Five**

"Get away from her!" Kyoko growled.

I heard an explosion followed by a hiss and crackle. A plume of fire danced only a few feet above my head. The serpent creature wailed and stumbled back. I pushed myself away from the heat. My midsection still felt warm. I was bleeding. No, _gushing_. A "vital systems critical" message flashed on my visor. Tron wasn't talking anymore. There was only static.

"Hang on!" The redhead shouted. "Don't move!"

Another crest of fire swept over me. I saw Kyoko leap into the air and dive for the monster. An orb of flame flickered in her left hand. Her right held a staff that shimmered in the twilight, illumined by what looked like tiny lava veins that traced its length. Instead of a spearhead like her Magic Girl weapon, the staff had a five-pointed chakrum attached at the end, rotating and buzzing like a chainsaw, with a ruby-red star blazing in the center. There was no doubt about it—Kyoko was wielding a Keyblade. She brought her staff down hard on the creature. Crunch. The humming blades of the chakrum ripped into its hide. The monster lost its tail and one of its back legs to the redhead's brutal assault.

That's when I got confused. It looked like Kyoko was clearly winning. But she suddenly stopped fighting and started screaming. There was a terrible hissing noise. It looked like smoke or steam was rising from her armor. The creature's inky green blood had splattered all over her—and this will sound really weird—it was _burning_ right through her suit!

"Kyoko!" I reached out for her.

My Keyblade manifested by instinct. A blue orb shot out and coated my friend in the same ice-like forcefield that I'd summoned to protect Madoka's family. The monster's blood flowed off and scorched holes in the dirt; it hadn't gone through yet. She was okay.

"It's acid!" shrieked the redhead.

"What?"

I tried to stand, to run to her aid. But terrible pain and heat radiated from my stomach. I can't even describe how bad it felt. I collapsed, retching. My blood splashed the ground. There were pink chunks sticking out and floating in it. I didn't want to guess what they were.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko cried while dodging the monster's claws.

_Remember the light_, whispered a voice inside my head.

_Naminé?_

No, not her. I saw the blue-haired woman standing over me. She was hazy and ghostlike, just like the last time I'd seen her. She knelt and placed a hand on my stomach. I felt peace, like back at the church. A brilliant light surrounded me. I gasped as my flesh sealed and my blood disappeared. Even my armor, for lack of a better word, "grew" back.

_Remember the light_, the woman told me, _and you will have the power to heal wounds of both body and spirit._

The light vanished, and so did the woman.

"Tactical systems back online," Tron announced. A red circle tracking the monster popped on my visor. "Target contains super-acidic fluids estimated to rank -4 on the pH scale. Engage with extreme caution."

Too late. I weaved through arcs of acid slung by the creature's gory tail stump, jumped to avoid a claw swipe, landed on its spine, and raked my blade from its thigh to the top of its neck. My forcefield shimmered as the creature's blood rained down all around me. I leapt to safety as it crumpled.

Everything went silent.

**Chapter Six**

"What the _hell_ was that?" hollered the redhead.

"I think it was an alien," I panted.

"No, not _that!_" Kyoko freaked. "I'm talking about _you and me_, dumb butt! You were monster chow! I watched it rip out your guts, and then, abracadabra alakazam! I'm spouting fire and swinging a flaming chainsaw staff, and suddenly, you're back looking all fine and dandy again, and you're riding that, that _thing_, like a bucking bronco!"

"I don't know," I gripped my knees. "How about we start with you—where'd you get the Keyblade?"

"Keyblade?" The redhead eyed her staff. "Oh, is that what this thing is? All I know, I got angry and voilá! It just appeared in my hand, so I figured I'd start swinging...and somehow I knew how to use it."

"Yeah." I sat down to catch my breath. "Instinct. That's kind of how it's been happening for me too. Remember when we first became Magic Girls? We simply knew how to fight to some degree but...this is ridiculous! Not even Mami could pull off something like we just did!"

"Well..." My friend clicked her tongue. "...I had the pleasure of fighting Ms. Tomoe over Grief Seeds long before I ever wrangled with you, so I don't know about that...but, overall, I get your point. And I agree."

"Wait." I looked around. "I bet it was the woman with the blue hair—_she _did this!"

"Excuse moi?" My friend stared at me quizzically. "You lost me. Are you referring to yourself because—"

"No, not me," I shook my head, "the _other_ one. Didn't you see her? She was right beside me. I swear! I think her name's Aqua. That's what Naminé said."

"Naminé?" Kyoko plopped down beside me. "That's the girl Riku mentioned, right? You _saw_ her? How?"

_There's no use hiding anything anymore. _I drew my legs in, wrapped my arms around them, and rested my chin on my knees. _Kyoko and I need to be on the same page. Information is power. If we don't figure out what's going on, and quick, we'll be less than useless to Hitomi and Madoka. Wherever they are._

"I saw Naminé in a vision." I sighed. "As for Aqua—please don't think I'm crazy—she's like a voice inside my head who helps me out of tight situations. I don't know much else about her. I think she might be a part of me somehow—I'm really scared, Kyoko."

And so I told my friend everything. About Kyousuke and Hitomi. How I'd known and loved him for years, and how I was angry at him for kissing her. How I killed Akio and Hakura because of it, and how Naminé saved me from my own Witch and acted like I was some sort of hero. I told Kyoko about how I'd wandered the streets of Mitakihara aimlessly for almost three days, not eating or sleeping much. How I'd broken into a gas station for powdered donuts. How I'd pushed Akio's mom at the funeral home when she'd said she thought there was always a chance for redemption. I told her all about the rooftop conversation between Homura and me. How the dark haired girl didn't trust Naminé. How the Incubators ambushed us and massacred the people at my orphanage. How I'd first heard Aqua. How Homura gave her life for me and gave me the note for Madoka. How the pink haired girl was her best friend, whom she was trying to save by traveling back through time over and over again. How I'd called to warn Hitomi about the Organization. And how I couldn't make any sense of what'd happened back in Madoka's garage. We talked about how Homura's complete change in personality frightened us, and whether she was even still _herself_ anymore. Kyoko told me that some sort of shadow creature had ripped Madoka away right before we'd all gone through the wormhole. Tron called it a "Darkside."

We started walking again for the ring structure. I felt totally refreshed after whatever Aqua had done to me. Tron's bio-scans seemed to agree. I was amazingly in perfect health now. We also discovered that Kyoko's suit didn't have anything like Tron inside it. Her armor's tactical systems were pretty basic compared to mine. Tron explained that Riku had given the four of us different equipment, all of it very powerful and valuable. Riku spread it out so that in case one of us was ever captured, it wouldn't all fall into the wrong hands at once. We asked Tron about the Organization, but he reported that his data files on the subject had been removed. However, Hitomi or Madoka might have something about it. He either couldn't or wouldn't tell us what.

"Wait a minute." Kyoko snapped her fingers. "The book!"

"Huh?"

"Remember? Riku gave it to you. He said it would explain everything."

I froze.

_What happened to it? Think, Sayaka, think! Riku tossed me the book. Homura and that red-eyed girl showed up. They attacked. I remember both of my hands were on my Keyblade by then, which could only mean..._

"Oh no." I winced. "I think I dropped it in Madoka's garage."


End file.
